'  '--^^  '     '*'i>fi  .,. 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

LIBRARY 


THE  WILMER  COLLECTION 

OF  CIVIL  WAR  NOVELS 

PRESENTED  BY 

RICHARD  H.  WILMER,  JR. 


.¥r^f!!W^M''^ 


Digitized  by  tine  Internet  Arcliive 

in  2010  witli  funding  from 

University  of  Nortli  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


http://www.archive.org/details/savedbywomanorhiOOseab 


C,<2^ 


'-f^SL^.^JU  (^'f^<r^. 


SAVED  BY  A  ^VOMAN; 


OR, 


THE  HIDDEN  ROMANCE. 


A  STORY  OF  THE  LATE  WAR. 


By  STROBHART. 


ATLANTA,  GA.  : 
JAS.    P.    HARRISON   &   CO.,    PRINTERS    AND   BINDERS. 

1S84. 


"^ebicaiion. 


FIRST, 

TO  MY  GENTLE,  AND  AFFECTIONATE  MOTHER; 

AND  NEXT, 

TO   MY   BRETHREN   OP   THE   TELEGRAPHIC    PROFESSION, 

THIS    BOOK   IS   AFFECTIONATEi/Y   AND 

FRATERNALLY    DEDICATED. 

— AUTHOR. 

Augusta,  Ga., 


January  4th,  1884. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress  in  the  oflace  of  the  Librarian  c 
Congress,  Washington,  D.  C.,1884. 


PREFACE. 


HE  narrative  which  follows,  is  based  upon  a  series  of 
truthful  adventures.  The  hero  of  the  work,  actually 
"lives,  moves  and  has  his  being."  He  tells  his  own  un- 
polished story  plainly,  as  a  soldier,  and  not  as  a  writer,  and 
modestly,  as  merely  a  man,  and  not  as  a  hero.  If  there  have 
l)een  added  any  embellishments  they  do  not  materially  con- 
flict with  the  truthful  telling  of  the  tale ;  if  there  has  been  in- 
troduced anything  unreal,  it  has  only  been  so  much  as  was 
deemed  requisite  to  supply  the  "missing  links"  in  the  broken 
chain  of  truthful  incidents.  So  much  is  said  on  purpose  to 
shoAV  that  the  writer's  privileges  have  been  greatly  restricted. 
To  have  introduced  his  hero  into  scenes  and  incidents  wholly 
imaginary,  would  have  been,  to  say  the  least,  impertinent ; 
while  to  have  followed  unswervingly  the  veracious  channel  of 
his  adventures,  would  have  been  to  endanger  the  interest  of 
the  tale.  For  these  reasons,  therefore,  the  writer's  task  has 
not  been  an  easy  one ;  nor  is  it  probable,  that  he  has  succeeded 
in  wholly  obliterating  every  damaging  evidence  of  a  restrained 
imagination.  *****  Even  under  auspices,  the  most 
favorable,  a  thousand  doubts  might  well  assail  an  unknown 
"scribe,"  who  is  preparing  to  thrust  himself  into  public  notice  ; 
but  for  the  reasons  above  enumerated,  these  misgivings  are 
greatly  multiplied. 

The  story,  however,  in  the  judgment  of  the  writer,  possesses 
intrinsically  much  which  is  interesting ;  and  if  in  this  opinion 
he  succeeds  in  inducing  the  public  to  concur,  he  will  have 
accomplished  his  object,  and  obtained  his  reward. 

"Author." 


SAVED  BY  A  WOMAN. 


CHAPTER  I. 


It  was  in  the  spring  of  '61  that  I  voluntered  my 
services  to  "Dixie."  The  ominous  war-clouds,  which 
had  for  months,  even  for  years,  hung  brooding  over 
our  peaceful  land,  had  burst  at  last  upon  it,  with 
mighty  and  appalling  thunder.  The  smoke  of  battle 
had  hung  like  a  pall,  over  Sumter,  and  death  had 
already  begun  its  abundant  harvest  in  the  east.  Even 
at  this  early  stage  of  the  strife,  the  cry  for  volunteers 
resounded  through  the  land,  to  find  a  responsive  echo 
in  every  patriotic  heart.  Men  of  low  degree  and 
high,  rich  men  and  poor,  old  men  and  beardless 
youths,  were  hurrying  to  the  front  from  all  points  of 
the  compass ;  some  to  reap  honors  and  fame,  others 
to  be  brought  back  maimed  for  life,  and  many,  alas, 
how  many,  never  to  leturn.  It  was  at  this  time,  (in 
the  spring  of '61,  as  I  have  said),  that  I  too  should- 
ered my  koapsack  and  turning  my  back  upon  a  well 
loved  home,  started  to  join  the  16th  Tennessee  regi- 
ment. How  full  of  life,  and  hope,  was  I,  on  that  bright 
spring  morning  as  I  mounted  my  impatient  steed  and 
rode  away,  and  how  well,  even  now,  do  I  recaL  the 
sorrowful  scenes  at  parting.  The  tears  and  prayers 
of  an  affectionate  mother,  the  blessings  and  counsels 
of  an  aged  father,  all  these  I  see,  and  feel,  as  plainly 


8  SAVED    BY   A   WOMAX ; 

now  as  then.  But  I  must  not  linger  o'er  them. 
With  the  mournful  cadence  of  the  oft- 
repeated  "Good-bye"  still  ringing  in  my  ears,  and  in 
my  heart  too,  for  that  matter,  I  reined  in  my  horse 
upon  a  hillock  hard-by  and  took  my  "last  lingering 
look"  at  the  beloved  home  which  1  was  deserting, 
perhaps  forever.  I  shall  never  forget  the  picture 
which  then  I  beheld.  Leaning  upon  the  garden  fence, 
his  head  bowed  upon  his  swelling  breast  and  his  gray 
locks  waving  in  the  early  morning  breeze,  feebly 
stood  my  father.  Behind  him  in  the  doorway  was 
my  dear,  mother,  alternately  waving  her  handkerchief 
to  me  and  wiping  her  eyes  with  it,  and  even  at  that 
distance,  I  imagined  I  could  hear  her  last  prayerful 
words  following  me,  in  broken  utterance,  "God  bless 
you,  my  boy,  and  bring  jou.  safely  back  to  mother." 
I  felt  a  choking  sensation  in  my  throat  as  1  looked, 
and  before  1  knew  it,  burning  tears  were  coursing 
down  my  cheeks.  I  took  off  my  military  cap,  raised 
it  in  a  last  salute,  and  putting  spurs  to  my  horse, 
dashed  away.  This  was  my  last  farewell  to  my 
mother.  I  never  saw  her  more  ;  but  the  blessing  of 
her  last  words  has  warmed  my  heart  full  many  a  time 
since  then.  Alas!  that  we  should  receive  so  lightly 
these  blessings  while  we  hear  them  uttered,  and  that 
it  should  require  the  stamp — even  of  death — to  give 
theji  a  right  impression  upon  our  hearts. 

But  there  is  little  room  for  gloomy  reflection  in  the 
breast  of  a  youth  just  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and 
before  I  had  completed  the  half  of  my  journey  to 
camp,  my  hopes  were  as  high  and  my  spirits  as  buoy- 
ant as  ever.  I  must  pass  rapidly  over ;  nay,  I  must 
not  even  glance  at  the  events  of  the  first  eighteen 
months  of  my  military  service.  At  the  end  of  that 
time  I  was  still  only  a  private,  but  I  was  beginning 


OR,   THE   HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  9 

10  find  fs,vor  with  my  officers,  and  I  had  then  every 
reasonable  hope  of  soon  taking  an  upward  step  in 
rank.  I  had  made,  and  alas,  I  had  lost  many  friends 
during  that  period,  and  now  I  was  to  lose  the  dearest 
friend  of  all — my  mother.  The  news  of  her  death 
came  upon  me  with  crushing  force.  For  a  while  it 
stunned  me,  and  I  went  the  round  of  my  daily  duties 
like  one  in  a  dream.  "Troubles  never  come  singly,'' 
they  say,  and  with  me  so  it  proved,  for  hard  upon 
the  news  of  this  great  affliction,  I  was  taken  suddenly 
ill,  and  lay  for  weeks  with  scarce  a  span  'twixt  me  and 
death.  When  I  at  last  arose  I  was  more  ghost  than 
man.  I  was  offered  a  furlough  without  the  trouble 
of  asking  for  it,  but  this  I  refused.  I  could  not  go 
home,  now  that  there  was  no  longer  a  mother  to  wel 
come  me  there,  and  I  asked  to  be  assigned  to  post 
duty  until  my  health  should  improve.  Accordingly 
I  was  sent  as  steward  to  the  hospital  at  Atlanta,  and 
here,  under  the  able  treatment  of  Dr.  Eave,  the  phy- 
sician in  charge,  I  rapidly  regained  my  health  and 
was  soon  pronounced  sufficiently  well  to  rejoin  my 
regiment.  A  circumstance  occurred,  however,  which 
rendered  this  impossible,and  whicb,as  will  soon  be  seen, 
changed  my  entire  future.  I  had  conceived  the  plan 
of  visiting  my  afflicted  father  while  on  my  way  to  the 
f  rontjbut  as  there  were  many  difficulties  to  be  overcome, 
before  this  could  be  accomplished,  1  determined  to 
consult  with  Dr.  Eave  as  to  the  plausibility  of  the 
project.  Accordingly  I  sought  him  out,  in  his  pri- 
vate  office,  and  after  laying  before  him  my  wishes  and 
doubts  I  asked  what  he  thought  of  the  scheme. 

"Where  do  you  live  ?"  asked  the  doctor  after  a  mo- 
ments reflection. 

"In  McMinnville,  Tennessee,  sir,"  said  I. 

"What,"  said  he,  jumping  from  his  seat  excitedly.' 


10  SAVED   BY    A    WOMAN; 

"Why,  my  dear  fellow,  you  are  the  very  man  I  am 
looking  for." 

"If     I    can     render     yon    a    service    doctor, '' — 
"  You  can  sir,  you  can,  said  he,  interrupting  me," 
a  most  valuable  service,  if   you  will ;  but  let  me  ex- 
plain.    '■*  I  am  sadly  in  need  of  a  case   of   surgical 
instruments  here,  and  they  cannot  be  found."  "There 
is'nt  such  a  thing  in   the  city    of  Atlanta,  and   the 
the  North,  you  know,  is  blockaded."     "Now,  there  is 
but  one  way  out  of  the  difficulty,  and  that  is  to  send 
or  go  for  my  own.''     Do  you  follow  me. 
"  You  wish  me  to  get  them  for  you  ?  " 
"  Exactly  sir  ;  you  have  hit  it." 
"  And  where  do  you  live,  may  I  ask  ?  " 
"  Where  do  I  live  ?     Why  my   dear  sir,"  said  the 
doctor,  we   are    neighbors.      My   home    and    those 
instruments  are   less  than    twenty  miles   from  your 
father's  house  in  McMinnville." 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say,  that  I  eagerly  ac- 
cepted this  opportunity  of  combining  duty  with 
pleasure,  and  it  took  me  but  a  short  time  to  receive 
my  directions,  get  my  "le.ive''  signed  and  start,  upon 
the  most  eventful  journey  of  my  life. 

Two  days  later  1  arrived  in  Chattanooga;  my  first 
act  upon  reaching  here,  being  to  seek  out  General 
Ledbetter,  then  in  command  of  the  city,  state  my 
business  and  procure  a  passport  through  the  lines. 
Besides  giving  me  the  passport  and  wishing  me  a 
kind  "God-speed,"  the  General  volunteered  the  advice 
that  I  should  make  the  remainder  of  my  journey  in 
citizen's  dress,  and,  accordingly,  I  lost  no  time  in 
making  the  necessary  purchases.  My  uniform  and 
papers,  except  my  pass,  I  left  with  a  chance  friend 
for  safe  keeping ;  and  he  kept  them  safely  enough, 
for  I  have  never  seen  uniform,  papers  or  friend  since. 


11 


CHAPTER  II. 

I  am  now  about  to  relate  an  occurrence  which  made 
but  little  impression  upon  me  at  the  time  of  its  hap- 
pening, but  which  I  had  abundant  and  most  startling 
reasons  for  remembering  more  than  once  afterwards. 

On  the  night  of  my  arrival  in  Chattanooga,  after 
having  arranged  everything  for  my  journey  as  before 
stated,  I  sauntered  into  the  hotel  barber  shop,  intend- 
ing to  have  my  then  very  heavy  moustache  taken  off, 
with  the  view  of  helping  my  disguiee,  for  inasmuch 
as  I  was  traveling  in  a  country  in  which  I  was  well 
known  I  did  not  deem  the  precaution  superfluous.  I 
found  the  shop  crowded,  and  not  wishing  to  spend  an 
hour  amid  tobacco  smoke  and  profanity,  I  left  direc- 
tions for  a  barber  to  come  to  me,  and  betook  myself 
to  my  room.  I  had  not  long  to  wait.  A  cautious 
knock  at  my  room  door  announced  the  arrival  of  the 
barber,  and  a  moment  later  a  dried  up  little  man 
with  a  very  oily  head  and  a  tongue  to  correspond, 
bowed  himself  into  the  room.  His  peculiar  accent  at 
once  proclaimed  him  a  Frenchman. 

"  If  Monsieur"  be  ready  he  would  have  "ze  honeur." 
"  Monsieur"  had  un  grande,  vat  you  call  him — mous- 
tach-cha.  He  hoped  "  Monsieur'' did  not  intend  to 
part  ''vid  dat." 

I  was  not  in  the  humor  to  be  flattered,  and  setting 
his  scruples  at  rest,  I  abruptly  bade  him  proceed  with 
his  task.  During  the  few  moments  of  preparation 
which  followed  the  Frenchman  talked  incessantly 
asking  question  after  question,  and  never  once  wait- 
ing for  a  reply,  rattled  on  in  a  manner  that  quite  con- 


12  SAVED  BY  A  WOMAN  ; 

fused  me.  He  was  approaching  me,  at  length,  scis- 
sors in  hand,  and  I  was  in  the  act  of  throwing  back 
my  head  in  the  proper  position  for  shaving,  when  he 
suddenly  stopped  and  began  to  gaze  in  my  direction, 
with  such  horror  stealing  over  his  countenance  as  I 
had  never  seen  upon  human  face  before.  Involunta- 
rily I  started  and  looked  behind  me,  expecting  to  see 
I  know  not  what,  but  there  was  nothing  but  empty 
space  between  me  and  the  wall. 

"  "What's  the  matter,  my  man  ?"   1  asked  ;    "  you 
look  as  if  you  had  seen  a  ghost  !" 

"  Ghost !  Aye,  ghost !"  said    the    Frenchman  in  a 
half  whisper ;  "  mon  Dieu,  Monsieur,  it  was  a  ghost." 

The  Frenclmian's  face  by  this  time  was  as  white  as 
the  sheet  which  I  had  pinned  around  my  neck,  and, 
trembling  in  every  limb,  he  sunk  into  a  convenient 
chair,  where  he  sat  fairly  gasping  for  breath.  I  did 
my  utmost  to  laugh  away  the  poor  fellow's  fears,  but 
all  in  vain.  There  was  no  reasoning  with  him,  and 
he  swore  persistently  that  he  had  seen  the  white-robed 
form  of  a  woman  standing  against  the  wall  just  behind 
me,  and  that  it  vanished  as  quick  as  he  saw  it.  Find- 
ing, at  length,  that  I  could  not  reason  him  out  of  his 
evident  belief,  I  became  a  little  vexed  at  what  I  termed 
his  stupidity,  and  bade  him  shave  me  at  once  or  be- 
gone ;  but  this  he  declared  he  could  not  do.  He 
must  positively  compose  himself,  he  said,  before  he 
could  attempt  so  delicate  an  operation,  and  he  hoped 
Monsieur  would  pardon  him.  This  announcement 
irritated  me  beyond  measure,  and  I  am  afraid  I 
slammed  the  door  upon  the  retreating  Frenchman 
before  he  had  fairly  passed  through  it.  Thus  ended 
my  hope  of  being  shaved  before  I  commenced  my 
journey. 

The  next  morning  was  bright  and  clear.     The  sun 


OR,   THE   HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  13 

was  just  gilding  the  top  of  "Lookout  Mountain  "  ae, 
seated  beside  several  others,  in  a  common  plantation 
wagon,  I  passed  out  of  Chattanooga  and  anon  reached 
the  first  line  of  pickets.  Here  we  showed  cur  passes 
and  proceeded  to  the  second  and  last  picket  line  ;  where 
again  we  produced  our  passports,  and,  after  they  had 
been  examined,  destroyed  them.  Thus  far  I  had  paid 
little  attention  to  my  companions,  but  now,  being  on 
dangerous  ground,  we  became  as  by  mutual  consent, 
quite  sociable.  What  power  is  there  half  so  equalizing 
in  its  effect,  as  the  shadow  of  a  common  danger  ? 

To  judge  from  outward  appearances,  we  were  a 
party  of  peaceable  civilians,  who  knew  nothing  of  the 
war,  and  cared  as  little  about  it ;  for  certain  it  is  that 
we  seldom  spoke  of  it.  The  weather,  the  scenery 
around  us  and  the  products  of  the  country  through 
which  we  were  passing,  were  the  subjects  which 
engrossed  our  conversation,  and,  at  the  end  of  a  dozen 
miles  of  travel,  we  knew  as  little  of  each  other  as 
when  we  started. 

Owing  to  the  fact  that  our  route  lay  directly  across 
the  mountains,  our  progress  was  slow  and  laborious, 
and  at  noon  we  had  only  compassed  about  fourteen 
miles  of  our  journey.  We  were  now  upon  the  extreme 
top  of  the  range,  and  had  halted  to  give  our  horses  a 
moment  to  "  wind,"  when  we  were  rather  startled  by 
the  abrupt  appearance  of  a  man,  who  stood  before  us 
BO  suddenly  as  to  create  the  delusion  that  he  had 
dropped  from  the  clouds,  while  in  reality,  he  had  only 
stepped  from  behind  a  tree.  He  was  dressed  as  a 
farmer,  and  carried  a  shot  gun  upon  his  shoulder. 

"  Mornin,"  said  he,  as  with  a  grin,  he  acknowledged 
our  looks  of  surprise. 

"  Why,  good  morning,  sir ;  said  the  driver,  at  once 
assuming  the  roll  of  spokesman. 


14  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

"  Dy'e  know,"  said  the  stranger,  pointing  over  his 
shoulder,  "  that  thar's  lots  on  em  right  afore  you  ?'' 

"  Lot's  o'  what  ?  "  asked  the  driver. 

"Yanks,"  said  the  stranger;"  Yanks,  and  as  eure's 
yon  live  you're  waltzin  into  a  hornet's  nest. 

*'  Have  you  seen  them  ?"  I  asked,  becoming  myself 
interested. 

"  I  have,"  said  he  stepping  a  few  paces  nearer  to  us ; 
"and  now  that  I  am  satisfied,  gentlemen,  that  you 
are  all  Confederates,  I  no  longer  hesitate  in  telling 
you  that  I  am  not  what  I  seem." 

"A  scout,"  said  I. 

"Exactly  sir  ;  one  of  Morgan's." 

This  announcement  had  the  double  effect  of  great- 
ly surprising  us,  and  of  increasing  our  interest  in  the 
stranger,  and  we  at  once  began  to  ply  him  with  ques- 
tions concerning  the  proximity  of  the  enemy,  their 
force,  and  eo  forth. 

"It  is  true,''  said  he.  "There  is  a  full  regiment  of 
Blue-coats,  marching  toward  Chattanooga,  and  they 
must  pass  this  spot  in  less  than  two  hours.  It  is  not 
to  your  liking,  I  dare  assert,  but  your  only  course  is 
to  turn  back,  and  the  quicker  you  do  it  the  better." 

"And  you,"  said  I,  "what  will  become  of  you  ?" 

''Oh !''  said  he,  smiling,  "I  have  other  fibh  to  fry." 

The  scout  had  spoken  truly.  We  did  not  fancy  a 
retreat ;  nevertheless,  it  was  plainly  the  one  course 
left  open  to  us.  Thanking  him  therefore  for  his 
timely  warning,  and  bidding  him  good-day,  we  were 
soon  beating  a  hasty  retreat,  and  at  sunset,  we  had 
retraced  our  steps  to  within  three  miles  of  the  outer 
picket-post  of  the  city.  Here  we  stopped  at  a  farm- 
house to  water  our  horses,  and  were  both  surprised 
and  alarmed  to  learn  from  the  farmer  that  there  was 
a  considerable  force  of  the  enemy  between  us  and  the 


OR,   THE   HIDDEN  ROMANCE.  15 

city,  putting  us  literally  between  two  fires.  A  hasty 
consultation  was  held,  and  we  were  not  long  in  de- 
ciding upon  a  course  of  action.  This,  in  a  few  words, 
was  to  journey  across  the  country  to  a  Mr.  Foe's,  a 
well-known  Southern  man,  distant  about  twelve  miles 
from  where  we  tlien  were,  and  arriving  there  to  re- 
main until  it  should  be  deemed  prudent  for  us  to 
continue  our  journey.  Having  received  directions 
from  the  farmer  we  therefore  sat  out  at  once,  and  a 
little  before  midnight  we  were  safely  within  sight  of 
Poe's  farm.  But  here  another  surprise  awaited  us. 
Within  the  spacious  enclosure  around  the  farmer's 
cottage,  sparkled  no  less  than  a  dozen  camp-fires,  and 
not  wishing  to  proceed  blindfolded  into  what  might 
prove  a  camp  of  the  enemy,  we  halted  to  reconnoitre. 
Volunteering  my  services,  I  went  cautiously  forward 
on  foot.  All  seemed  peaceful  and  quiet  as  I  ap- 
proached. Not  a  sound  broke  the  stillness  of  the 
night,  save  now  and  then  the  "cracking''  of  the  dying 
camp-fire;  the  occasional  "stamp"  of  a  horse's  foot 
upon  the  earth,  or  the  grinding  of  his  teeth  together, 
as  he  munched  the  last  of  his  supper,  and  I  had  reach- 
ed to  within  a  few  yards  of  the  enclosure,  and  still  no 
sign  of  human  life  presented  itself ;  but  here,  after 
intently  looking  about  me,  in  every  direction,  I  at 
length  made  out  the  indistinct  outlines  of  a  human 
form  leaning  against  a  tree  near  to  one  of  the  fires. 
The  light  was  too  indistinct,  however,  for  me  to  de- 
cide the  question  as  to  whether  he  was  "Union"  or 
"Confederate,"  and  until  this  question  was  decided  I 
dared  not  show  myself.  There  was  nothing  for  it, 
therefore,  but  to  wait  where  I  was,  and  trust  to 
chance  for  the  rest.  Having  made  up  my  mind  to 
ihis  I  walked  quite  up  to  the  fence,  and  was  prepar- 
ing to  sit  down  and  make  myself  as  comfortable  as 


16  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAX ; 

possible,  when  I  felt  a  heavy  hand  grasp  my  shoulder, 
and  ere  I  conld  think  of  resistance,  the  cold  muzzle 
of  a  revolver  was  pressed  against  my  temple. 

'^Better  to  keep  quiet,  I  guess,"  said  a  low 
voice  in  my  ear,"  wouldn't  like  to  make  a  sifter  o' 
your  brain-house — understand." 

"I  understand  quite  well.  You  have  all  the  advan- 
tage ,  said  I.     What  do  you  want  with  me?" 

'"Don't  know  as  I  want  you  at  all,"  said  the  man, 
who  now  lowered  his  weapon,  and  stood  in  front  of 
me—  "Depends  entirely  upon  the  color  o'  your  liver." 

"Well,  really  my  friend,"  said  I — "Considering  the 
fact  that  I  have  never  had  the  opportunity  of  disccv- 
erinff  in  what  particulars  my  individual  liver" — 

"Balderdash,"  said  the  man.  "What's  your  senti- 
ments, gray  or  blue  ?     Out  with  it." 

"I  am  a  Confederate." 

"Can  you  prove  it?" 

"Impossible — I  have  destroyed  all  proof  of  my 
identity." 

"Come,  no  nonsense,"  said  he  ;"  show  your  papers; 
but  hold,  it  is  not  necessary  now  that  I  look  at  you." 
"I  met  you  to-day." 

I  soon  discovered  that  this  was  true.  The  scout 
whom  we  had  met  in  the  morning,  and  the  man  be- 
fore me  was  one  and  tlie  same  person. 

"How  in  the  name  of  wonder,  are  you  here  ?"  said 
I,  jumping  to  my  feet ;  for  his  heavy  hand  had  pre- 
cipitated me  into  a  sitting  posture. 

"Oh  !"  said  he.  "1  am  a  fast  walker  ;  but  what  are 
you  doing  here  ?" 

"Sit  down  and  yon  shall  hear — but  what  a  walker 
you  must  be." 

"Behold!"  said  he,  with  a  low  chuckle  as  he 
stretched  a  huge  limb   before  me.     "See  the  length, 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMAXCE.  17 

the  shape,  the  thickness,  and  no  longer  wonder ;'' — 
but  proceed  with  your  story. 

We  nDw  sat  down,  and  began  to  exchange  confi- 
dence. After  relating  to  hitn  the  circumstttnces 
which  had  led  to  our  second  meeting,  he  proceeded 
to  give  me  all  the  information  I  desired.  By  a  short 
cut  through  the  woods  he  had  an-ived  at  Poe's  about 
e  ark,  and  found  there  stragglers  from  all  directions 
to  the  number  of  about  thirty.  These  were  all  pre- 
sumably Confederates,  but  as  there  could  be  no  cer- 
tainty upon  this  head,  every  man  was  shy  of  hi* 
neighbor.  Poe  himself  did  not  know  the  true  senti- 
ments of  half  his  guests.  Scarcely  his  guests  either, 
inasmuch  as  his  abundant  hospitality  was  forced  up- 
on him.  He  (Poe)  was  about  to  abandon  his  place. 
He  would  leave  next  morning  with  his  stock  and 
whatever  valuables  he  could  carry,  for  some  f-afe  re- 
treat in  the  mountains,  and  the  scout  advised  us  to 
join  his  party.  There  were  animals  enough  he  said 
for  all  to  ride,  and  we  would  thus  be  helping  Poe 
and  forwarding  our  own  ends  at  the  same  time.  In 
the  scouts  opinion  this  was  the  wisest,  if  not  the  only 
course  we  could  safely  pursue.  After  a  little  further 
conversation  I  parted  with  him,  who  was  about  leav- 
ing  for  parts  only  known  to  liimself,  and  hastening 
back  to  my  companions  proceeded  to  lay  before  them 
what  1  had  learned  together  with  the  plans  suggested. 

There  was  little  need  for  a  pilot  in  plain  sailing 
like  this,  and  with  one  accord  we  determined  to  cast 
our  lot  with  that  of  Mr.  Poe.  In  less  than  an  hour 
later,  therefore,  we  had  taken  quiet  possession  of  that 
gentleman's  barnyard,  and  had  made  ourselves  as  com- 
fortable for  the  night  as  our  surruundings  permitted. 


18  SAVED    BY    A   WOMAN 


CHAPTER  III. 

"After  a  few  hours  of  refreshing  slumber  I  awoke 
to  find  it  already  daylight.  Men  in  every  character 
of  drees  were  hurrying  to  and  fro,  some  saddling  their 
animals,  some  stowing  away  the  remnavits  of  their 
breakfast,  some  filling  their  canteens  at  the  well,  and 
osiers  strapping  on  their  weapons,  or  packing  their 
luggage.  Everything  betokened  a  hasty  departure. 
At  a  little  distance  away,  in  an  open  pasture,  grazed 
a  herd  of  about  two  hundred  cattle,  while  in  the  yard 
in  which  we  were,  young  mules,  sheep,  swine,  goats  and 
every  Fpecies  of  fowl  were  huddled  together  in  s-ti  ange 
confusion.  I  shall  never  forget  the  mournful  melody 
of  their  mingled  voices.  The  'bellowing'  of  the  cow?, 
the  bleating  of  the  sheep,  the  more  indistinct  'grunt' 
of  the  hog'",  and  the  occasional  shrill  crow  of  a  cock, 
or  cackle  of  a  hen,  combined  to  make  sad,  though — 
not  unpleasant  music.  But  the  stir  and  bustle  of 
preparation  added  a  harsh  accompaniment  and  robbed 
the  effect  of  its  peaceful  suggestion.  Who  that  lived 
in  those  dark  days  cannot  recall  some  scene  similar 
to  this  ?  The  desertion  of  a  long  loved  home,  the 
rude  breaking  asunder  of  all  those  ties  and  associa- 
tions, which  have  hitherto  combined  to  make  up  so 
much  of  our  happiness.  At  such  moments  we  not 
only  feel  an  uncertain  dread  of  what  the  future  may 
hold  for  us,  but  our  hearts  are  tilled  with  a  tender 
concern,  wholly  free  from  vulgar  or  mercenary  con- 
siderations, for  'the  dear  old  place'  which  we  are 
leaving  without  a  protector.  A  tender  concern? 
Aye,  truly  this,  for  each  familiar  object  that  we  look 


OR,   THE   HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  19 

upon  reveals  at  this  parting  tyioment  some  new  feature 
to  admire,  if  not  an  actual  beauty,  never  before  re- 
marked. Trifles  which  had  no  value  yesterday,  i  re 
almost  treasures  to-day  ;  and  the  meanest  gewgaw 
which  we  yesterday  spurned,  we  are  strangely  careful 
of  to-day.  Alas,  that  so  many  should  iiave  known 
the  feeling,  and  that  in  so  many  instances  their  dark- 
est forebodings  should  have  been  re  lized  to  the  full. 
Alas,  again  that  the  devastating  hand  of  war  should 
so  often  o'er  reach  ourselves  and  invade  the  sacred 
precincts  of  our  homes.     But  to  my  story. 

Without  waiting  to  eee  that  my  companions  were 
stirring,  I  left  the  wagon  in  which  we  had  all  slept, 
and  hat^tened  away  to  find  our  host ;  my  object  being 
to  obtain  his  consent  to  our  joining  his  party  and  to 
borrow  some  animals  for  our  use.  I  found  him  with 
little  trouble — an  open-faced,  genial  man  of  about 
sixty — and  he  readily  gave  his  consent  to  all  I  asked. 
We  could  have  as  many  mules  as  we  desired  he  said, 
and  he  would  be  delighted  to  have  our  company. 
With  this  report  1  returned  to  my  companions,  wheie 
I  found  a  hastily  prepared  , breakfast  awaiting  me,  of 
which  1  heartily  partook,  and  this  duty  performed  we 
were  ready  for  the  road.  Mounting  upon  my  young 
and  fractious  mule,  I  was  one  of  the  last  to  leave  the 
enclosare.  Our  host  had  lingered  behind  to  give 
some  last  directions  to  a  negro,  the  only  servant  he 
was  leaving ;  and,  as  the  animal  I  bestrode  suddenly 
concluded  to  go  no  further,  coax  and  spur  him  as  I 
would,  I  made  a  virtue  ot  necessity  and  patiently 
awaited  the  coming  of  the  farmer.  It  was  now  broad 
daylight.  The  sun  just  kissed  the  tops  of  the  tall 
pines  and  touched  a  hillock  here  and  there,  as  if  to 
dry  up  the  tears  the  night  had  shed,  and  bid  "  the 
hills  rejoice,"  because  it    had   come    again.      Gjeen 


20  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN ; 

pastures  stretched  away  on  every  hand  from  which, 
now  and  tlien  a  field  lark  rose  high  in  air,  uttering  its 
melodious  offering  to  the  morning. 

Just  rising  a  gentle  incline  to  my  left,  was  the  caval- 
cade, which  had  preceeded  me;  the  "smack"  of  the 
long  lash,  the  peculiar  "  hia,''  "hia,"  of  the  drivers 
and  the  "tramp"  and  bellowing  of  the  cattle,  becom- 
ing momentarily  less  distinct ;  and  behind  me,  nestling 
peacefully  among  venerable  oaks  and  cedars,  stood 
the  deserted  home  of  the  farmer.  At  the  gate  through 
which  I  had  just  passed,  the  latter  alreadj^  mounted, 
was  in  the  act  of  bidding  farewell  to  his  trusted  slave, 
when,  looking  toward  the  train,  I  noticed  with  surprise, 
that  instead  of  taking  the  proffered  hand  of  his  mas- 
ter, the  negro  suddenly  began  to  gesticulate  excitedly, 
and  to  point  in  the  direction  of  the  house.  In  another 
moment  the  negro  had  disappeared  as  if  by  magic,  and 
the  master  was  galloping  at  full  speed  straight  toward 
me.  With  some  anxiety  1  waited  his  coming,  to  learn 
the  meaning  of  his  hurried  flight,  but  long  before  he 
reached  me,  the  cause  became  but  too  apparent.  The 
Yankees  were  upon  us.  Charging  through  the  yard, 
having  approached  unseen  from  behind  the  house, 
came  on  in  hot  pursuit  a  full  company  of  blue-coated 
cavalry.  Mr.  Foe  swept  by  me  like  the  wind,  calling 
to  me  to  follow,  and  my  hitherto  refractory  animal, 
catching  something  of  the  spirit  of  the  moment, 
answered  the  spur  right  bravely,  and  dashed  after  him. 
For  a  few  moments  we  held  our  own,  and  the  hope  of 
escape  beat  high  in  my  heart.  The  cool  air  of  the 
morning  and  the  lively  pace  at  which  I  was  going, 
together  with  the  excitement  of  the  moment,  produced 
in  me  a  kind  of  intoxication,  intensely  pleasurable  ; 
but  the  pleasure  was  short-lived.  Mr.  Foe  was  dis- 
tancing me,  and  my  animal  losing  the  companionship 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE  21 

of  the  farmer's  noble  charger  began  to  lag;  and,  alas! 
no  persuasion  on  mj  part,whether  gentle  or  the  reverse, 
could  induce  him  to  save  me  from  capture.  I  now- 
realized  this  painful  truth,  and  yet  I  did  not  cease  my 
struggles  until  my  pursuer's  were  actually  abreast  of 
me,  and  I  heard  the  command  to  surrender,  accom- 
panied by  the  ominous  "  click  "  of  several  revolvers. 
To  struggle  unarmed  against  such  odds  would  have 
been  madness,  and  ere  I  had  fully  realized  the  un- 
pleasant  fact,  I  was  a  prisoner. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

In  less  time  than  it  takes  me  to  tell  it,  I  was  left  in 
the  custody  of  two  men,  and  the  troops  had  swept  by 
us,  hard  upon  the  heels  of   lWv.  Poe, 

"  Got'chcr  eilf  in  a  nice  kittle  o'  fieh,"  said  one  of 
my  captors.     ''Got  any  bull  pups  about 'cher? '' 

"  1  am  not  armed,  if  that  is  what  you  mean,"  I 
answered. 

"Oh  !  You  are  not?  P'rap's  you  have  some  "dust," 
then?     No!     Nor  a  "  ticker  "  neither  ?" 

"What  I  have  is  my  own,"  I  said  "and  if  you 
dare  rob  me,  I  shall  report  it  to  your  officers  at  the 
first  opportunity." 

"  O'ho,  that's  the  tune  is,  it  ?  Well,  I  reckon,  I 
don't  want'cher  greasy  Confed.  "  shin  plasters,"  nor 
yer  brass  turnip,  neither  ;  so  you  need  not  tire  off  yer 
lip,  "Johnnie  Reb."     We  don't  like  it." 

By  this  time  1  had  dismounted,  and  was  being 
marched  back  toward  the  farm  house  ;  upon  reaching 
which    I    was  surprised    to   find   no  less   than   fifty 


22  SAVED    BY   A   WOMAN; 

prisoners  surrounded  by  a  small  guard.  I  was  un- 
ceremoniously shoved  in  among  these,  and  left  to 
mingle  with  them  as  I  pleased  ;  and  I  began  at  once 
to  look  about  me  wondering  if  among  all  these  unfor- 
tunates there  might  not  be  found  at  least  one  face 
with  whom  I  was  familiar.  There  were  men  of  every 
age,  from  the  lad  of  sixteen  to  the  old  man  of  sixty 
years  or  more.  There  was  also  every  species  of  dress 
among  them;  the  common  home-spun  of  the  farmer; 
the  more  fastidious  dress  of  "the  man  from  town;" 
the  rags  of  the  pauper,  and  in  a  few  instances 
the  full  Confederate  uniform,  were  all  to  be  seen. 
But'  a  single  common  feature  pervaded  the  com- 
pany, and  this  consisted  in  the  anxious  look  which 
marked  every  countenance.  I  was  just  beginning 
to  despair  of  finding  any  among  them  whom  I  knew, 
when  I  noticed  something  of  a  commotion  among  the 
guard,  and  I  soon  perceived  that  another  prisoner 
was  being  brought  in.  Prompted  by  a  natural  curi- 
osity, I  looked  toward  the  latter  and,  at  a  single  glance, 
I  knew  him  as  the  scout,  who  had  twice  befriended  us 
on  the  day  before.  Although  I  should  rather  have 
felt  sorrow  at  his  misfortune,  I  confess  to  a  selfish 
pleasure  at  seeing  him,  and  I  hastened  forward  to 
offer  my  condolence.  Can  I  say  condolence^  after  the 
confession  I  have  made  ? 

"My  dear  fellow,"  I  began,  but  I  ceased  abruptly, 
to  wonder  at  the  meaningless  stare  which  I  encoun- 
tered. 

"Hist,"  he  said  in  a  low  voice.  "Be  careful  you 
0  not  know  me  herer 

"  Excuse  me,''  said  I  aloud  ;  at  once  catching  his 
meaning.  "  I  took  you  for  some  one  else.''  I  was 
turning  away  when  he  touched  me  on  the  shoulder 
and  continued,  "  I  see  there  is  no  one  noticing  us.     / 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  23 

am  here  from  choice.  I  will  escape  at  the  proper 
moment,  but  I  must  not  be  known  as  Morgan's  scout. 
The  distinction  between  '-' scout"  and  "spy,''  is  but 
subtile  at  best,  and  besides,  Morgan's  very  name  is 
enough  to  hang  me.     Do  you  understand  ? '' 

"  Perfectly,"  "  but  I  cannot  help  wondering  at  your 
temerity.     How  on  earth  are  you  to  escape?'' 

"  I  don't  know  hoio^'  said  he;  "but  I  am  sure  I  will 
escape."  He  drew  himself  proudly  up  and  continued, 
"  I  was  educated,  sir,  by  John  Morgan." 

"Good  luck  to  you,"  I  said,  adding  to  myself — "I 
do  not  wonder  at  Morgan's  brilliant  career,  if  all  his 
men  are  like  you." 

"  Many  better,"  said  he ;  his  keen  ear  having  caught 
my  soliloquy.  "Many  better  and  few  not  as  good. 
Morgan's  men  are  for  the  most  part  educated  scouts. 
I  do  not  speak  of  all  whom  he  has  commanded,  but 
of  those  whom  he  always  chooees  for  his  sudden  raids. 
There  is  not  one  among  them  but  would  dare  as  much 
as  this.     Pshaw  !  This  is  nothing. 

"May  I  ask  your  name,  sir,"  said  I;  becoming 
much  interested  in  the  man. 

"  Certainly,"  he  replied.  "  My  name  is  McPherson, 
Frank  McPherson,  but  better  known  since  the  war  com- 
menced," added  he  with  a  chuckle,  as  "Slippery 
Frank."  "  I  hail  from  near  Atlanta,  in  Georgia."  I 
have  been  captured  and  have  escaped  five  times  since 
I  joined  the  army;  hence  my  nickname  of  "Slippery." 
I  have  ;  and  now  stranger,  y'er  curiosity  hes  took  you 
es  fer  es  i'll  foller,  so  just  you  git." 

I  needed  not  the  cunning  wink  he  gave  me  to 
understand  his  sudden  change  of  manner,  for  just 
then  an  officer  approached  us.  Producing  a  merao- 
randvim  book  and  pencil  the  latter  asked  us  our  names, 
places  of  residence,  etc.,  displaying  an  interest  in  our 


24:  SATED    BY    A    WOMAN ; 

replies,  which  would  have  been  quite  flattering,  under 
other  circunistances.  For  r/ij  part,  I  gave  him  my 
full  name,  my  regiment,  and  even  the  letter  of  my 
company,  for  at  that  moment  I  could  think  of  no 
reason  for  concealing  anything  of  my  true  character. 
Having  given  my  answers,  I  was  now  all  curiosity  to 
hear  what  those  of  McPhersou  would  be,  nor  was  1 
long  in  linding  out. 

Before  the  officer  had  well  reached  him,  the  scout 
commenced  his  voluntary  information  thus  :  "My 
name's  Speers. — Jim  Speers — lives  in  Georgy — farms 
— travelling  to  Shelbyville  to  see  some  relations  ;  got 
tuck,  and  thar's  the  end  of  it;"  and  with  this,  he 
stuck  both  hands  into  his  trowsers'  pockets  and  saun- 
tered away. 

The  officer  smiled  while  he  made  a  note  of  this 
information,  but  said  nothing.  Not  long  after  this 
the  troop  of  cavalry  appeared  in  the  distance  ;  and 
shortly  thereafter  they  rode  up,  bringing  with  them 
about  twenty  prisoners.  Yery  few,  if  any, of  those,  who 
left  the  farm  in  the  morning,  had  escaped.  I  recog- 
nized among  the  unfortunates  all  of  my  late  compan- 
ions, except  the  driver,  whom  [  learned  afterwards, 
had  escaped  by  hiding  in  the  stable.  After  lounging 
about  for  a  half  hour  to  "blow''  their  horses,  during 
which  time  Mr.  Poe's  house  was  "gone  through"  from 
top  to  bortom,  we  were  formed  by  twos,  and  with  a 
strong  guard  on  each  side  of  us,  marched  off  toward 
the  enemy's  lines  in  front  of  Chattanooga. 

Before  we  reached  them,  however,  an  incident 
occurred,  which,  as  it  forms  an  important  link  in  the 
chain  of  my  story,  must  be  told  in  detail ;  and,  there- 
fore, I  beg  'eave  to  reserve  it  for  another  chapter. 


OR,   THE    HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  25 


CHAPTER  Y. 

"It  was  high  noon  when  we  took  the  road,  attended 
only  by  a  portion  of  our  captors;  the  remainder  hav- 
ing preceded  ns.  by  about  an  hour ;  driving  the 
farmer's  stock  toward  their  lines. 

The  day  was  intensely  hot.  The  sun  hung  in  an 
unclouded  sky,  and  his  riery  rays  beat  full  upon  us, 
with  suffocating  effect.  The  road,  for  the  most  part, 
was  deep  in  sand,  burning  particles  of  which  tilled 
our  shoes,  causing  us  acute  pain,  which  increased  at 
every  step  ;  and  to  add  to  our  discomfort  we  were 
hurried  along  at  a  pace  little  less  than  a  run  in  order 
to  keep  up  with  the  horses  of  our  escort.  Taking 
into  consideration  the  gloomy  thoughts  which  neces- 
sarily filled  us,  our  condition  was  as  miserable  as  could 
well  he. 

I  could  but  pity  the  old  and  feeble  of  our  party, 
many  of  whom,  heartsick  and  already  weary,  dragged 
themselves  along  with  an  effort  painful  to  behold. 
There  was  one  old  man  among  the  latter  who  partic- 
ularly engaged  my  deepest  sympathies.  He  could 
scarcely  have  been  less  than  seventy  years  of  age. 
llis  hair  and  beard  were  silvery  white  ;  his  head  shook 
with  the  palsy  of  age,  and  his  limbs  trembled  and 
tottered  at  every  step.  Why  was  he  made  a  prisoner  ? 
Because,  on  the  night  before,  he  had  tired  upon  a 
body  of  federals,  who  were  driving  away  his  cattle, 
and  otherwise  depredatiuT;  upon  hi?  place.  Because 
he  had  defended  his  substance,  which  in  his  old  age 
was  life  itself  to  him. 

He  was  walking  just  in  front  of  me  ;  walking  did 


26  SAVED    BY    A    WOMAN; 

I  say  ? — rather  dragging  his  limbs  along,  while  he 
supported  his  body  between  a  stick,  and  the  generous- 
ly offered  arm  of  a  younoer  man  at  his  side.  Now 
in  consequence  of  this,  the  progress  of  these  two  was 
slower  than  of  the  rest  of  the  line,  at  which  delay 
the  guards  became  greatly  incensed.  Curses  and 
abuses  were  rained  upon  us,  and  threats  became 
numerous  :  but  they  availed  nothing,  for  the  old 
man's  scanty  store  of  strength  was  fast  failing  him, 
and  every  new  effort  but  exhausted  it  the  more.  At 
length,  after  a  perfect  torrent  of  abuse,  and  a  savage 
shove  from  one  of  the  guard,  the  aged  prisoner  Stood 
still  and  turning  to  the  nearest  officer,  a  sergeant,  said 
meekly  and  feebly :  "Sir,  if  you  wish  me  to  go 
further  you  must  carry  me — were  death,  the  penalty 
of  halting,  I  could  walk  no  more." 

"See  here,"  said  the  irate  sergeant  with  an  oath, 
"you  were  not  too  old,  nor  too  feeble,  to  handle  a 
siiot-gun  last  night,  and  by  G — d  you  are  not  too  old 
nor  too  feeble  to  walk  to  day" — then  springing  from 
his  horse,  he  drew  his  sword  from  the  scabbard  and 
placing  the  point  against  the  old  man's  breast  ordered 
him  to  roarch. 

"I  cannot ;  I  cannot,"  he  said — "take  my  life  if 
you  will,  but  I  cannot." 

There  was  murder  in  the  man's  eyes.  He  had 
already  tightened  his  grip  upon  his  sword  and  was  in 
the  act  of  giving  the  cowardly  thrust,  when  being 
unable  longer  to  restrain  myself  I  leapt  upon  him  like 
a  panther  and  felled  him  to  my  feet  with  a  single 
blow. 

"For  shame,"  I  cried,  "you  cowardly  cur — you 
shall  not  harm  those  gray  hairs  while  I  live  "  If  ever 
there  was  a  countenance  to  which  the  phrase  "demon- 
like" might  apply,  I  saw  it  at  that  moment.     There 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  27 

was  a  smile  upon  his  face  that  might  have  frozen  my 
blood,  were  I  less  heated  with  passion  ;  and  his  dark 
eyes  emitted  flashes  of  terrible  purpose,  as  he  delib- 
erately gained  his  feet  and  brushed  the  sand  from  his 
clothes. 

Not  once  did  he  take  his  eyes  from  mine,  and  I, 
angry  and  defiant,  met  his  gaze  unflinchingly.  For 
one  brief  instant  did  we  eye  each  other  thus  ;  then 
his  right  arm  was  raised  slowly  towards  me,  and  when 
it  gained  the  level  of  my  eyes  I  saw  that  the  hand 
held  a  cocked  revolver.  The  weapon  was  scarce  two 
feet  from  my  face.  I  watched,  with  a  kind  of  fasci- 
nation I  could  not  master,  the  index  finger  as  it 
slowly  left  the  guard  and  reached  the  trigger. 

My  heart  raised  itself  in  silent  supplication,  and 
had  I  died  then  my  last  breath  would  have  gone  out 
in  prayer.  The  finger  pressed  the  trigger,  the  flash 
blinded  me,  the  report  deafened  me,  but  the  ball  did 
me  no  harm,  although,  alas  !  it  found  a  victim.  The 
innocent  cause  of  all  this  trouble  was  standing  just 
behind  me,  and  he  it  was  who  received  the  angry 
bullet  full  in  his  forehead  and  e'er  I  could  turn  my 
head  to  look  upon  him  he  had  sunk  to  the  earth  a 
corpse.  This  tragic  incident  consumed  in  its  acting 
much  less  time  than  it  takes  me  to  tell  it.  OflScers 
hurried  to  scene,  attracted  thither ;  first  by  the  halt  in 
the  procession  and  afterward  by  the  report  of  the 
pistol. 

From  many  conflicting  reports  concerning  the 
affair  he  in  command  at  last  caught  the  drift  of  its 
true  character,  and  at  once  ordered  the  murderer  to 
be  bound  and  treated  as  a  prisoner. 

As  to  myself  he  said,  "Considering  the  end,  I  am 
sorry  you  interfered  in  this  business,  but  I  neverthe- 
less commend  your  motive.'' 


28  SAVED   BY    A   WOMAN; 

**I  could  not  have  foreseen  the  issue  sir,"  said  I, 
and  I  meant  to  jeopardize  no  one's  life  but  my  own." 

The  officer  now  gave  some  orders  which  I  could 
not  overhear,  and  two  of  the  escorts  dismounting 
removed  the  lifeless  body  to  one  side  of  the  road  and 
the  procession  was  again  put  in  motion,  leaving 
behind  the  two  soldiers  keeping  guard  over  their 
dead  prisoner.  I  marched  along  after  this  with  many 
conflicting  emotions  struggling  within  me  for  the 
mastery.  I  burned  with  indignation,  because  that  so 
little  respect  had  been  shown  in  the  first  instance  for 
one  of  the  victims  of  age  and  infirmity,  and  that  he 
should  have  been  ruthlessly  compelled  to  encounter 
hardships  which  might  have  taxed  the  hardihood  of 
many  a  younger  man.  And  while  I  deeply  deplored 
the  tragic  event  and  my  own  dubious  share  in  it,  I 
could  not  suppress  a  strong  desire  for  revenge  upon 
the  cowardly  assassin.  Nor  was  1  alone  in  these  feel- 
ings. Lowering  brows  met  the  gaze  on  every  hand, 
and  deep-toned,  vengeful  mutterings  tilled  the  air. 
For  many  a  mile  this  bitter  spirit  pervaded  the  cap- 
tives, but  ere  we  reached  our  journey's  end  our  own 
wretchedness  engaged  our  whole  attention.  Our  feet 
were  blistered  and  swollen  and  our  suffering  from 
this  cause  alone  was  great ;  but  there  was  another 
and  greater  misery  in  store  for  us.  There  was  no 
water  to  be  had  and  we  were  soon  famishing  from 
thirst.  And  again,  many  among  us  had  eaten  nothing 
since  the  day  before  and  these  began  also  to  expe- 
rience the  dreadful  pangs  of  hunger. 

The  midsummer's  sun  still  beat  full  upon  us  ;  his 
furious  rays  falling  like  molten  lead  upon  our  brains, 
and  the  road  became  even  heavier  as  we  labored 
along.  And  thus  were  we  forced  to  march,  all  through 
that  dreadful  day  and  far  into   the  night.     What  a 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  29 

welcome  sight  when  at  last  we  saw  the  flickering 
lights  of  the  enemy's  camp-firep,  and  how  joyful  the 
thought  that  we  must  soon  hear  the  command  to 
"halt;  "  a  command  which  had  it  been  given  beneath 
the  shadow  of  the  gallows'  tree  would  still  to  us  have 
been  welcome.  No  weary  travel-stained  adventurer, 
longing  for  rest,  ever  crossed  the  threshold  of  his  luxu- 
rious home  with  more  gladness  in  his  heart  than  filled 
ours  as  we  entered  the  stronghold  of  our  enemies.  A 
feeble  cheer,  half  a  sigh  of  relief  actually  struggled 
for  expression  to  our  parched  lips  as  we  stood  still 
once  more,  tottering  and  catching  at  each  other  for 
support.  Some  among  us  would,  perhaps,  ne  ver  know 
liberty  again  ;  none  of  us  but  anticipated  months  of 
wretchedness  and  misery,  and  yet  the  half  articulate 
cheer  we  uttered  was  the  voice  of  sincerity  itself,  for 
each  who  uttered  it  had  told  himself  "Whate'er 
betides,  I've  known  the  worst.*'  Some  of  the  men 
sank  to  the  ground  at  once  and  begged  piteously  for 
water;  but  this  was  not  given  us  till  we  had  been 
told  off,  like  so  many  sheep,  to  see  if  any  were  miss- 
ing. After  this  they  brought  us  water,  every  drop  of 
which  might  have  come  from  Paradise.  Every  gulp 
was  a  new  life,  since  each  would  have  given  his  life 
for  a  single  swallow.  It  was  pitiable  to  see  the  fam- 
ished wretches  quarrel  over  the  buckets  as  starving 
dogs  over  a  bone,  and  to  see  with  what  savage  avidity 
they  gulped  down  the  life-giving  fluid.  Had  they 
known  each  drop  to  contain  a  subtle  poison  they  would 
nevertheless  have  quaffed  their  death  as  if  it  had 
been  nectar.  Ah,  truly  there  was  enough  of  suffering 
there  to  atone  for  many  a  sin.  The  very  thought  of 
it  parches  my  throat  to  this  day,  and  by  the  same 
token  it  has  made  me  too  dry  to  say  another  word  at 
this  sitting." 


30  SAVED   BY   A    WOMAN; 


CHAPTER  YI. 

"We  slept  that  night  in  "Stringer's"  stable,  nor  could 
the  softest  bed  of  down  have  rendered  our  sleep  one 
whit  the  sounder  or  sweeter.  The  sun  was  high  in 
the  heavens  when  I  awoke,  and  great  was  my  surprise 
to  hear  the  occasional  booming  of  cannon  in  the 
distance. 

It  was  some  moments  before  I  could  collect  enough 
of  thought  to  wholly  comprehend  my  situation.  A 
dull  pain,  more  like  a  heavy  weight,  pressed  upon  my 
brain  and  completely  bewildered  me ,  but  soon  I 
began  to  form  a  clearer  idea  of  my  surroundings.  My 
fellow-prisoners  la}'  around  me  piled  upon  each  other 
in  all  the  "abandon"  of  extreme  fatigue  ;  just  as  they 
had  sunk  down  a  few  hours  before,  when  conscious 
of  nothing  but  the  sublime  sensation  of  slumber 
stealing  over  their  tired  senses,  they  had  resigned 
themselves  unresistingly  to  its  influence.  They  were 
still  asleep.  Not  tasting  of  that  lighter  repose,  (the 
recuperative  draught  which  nature  nightly  sends  us), 
but  drinking  deeply  from  oblivion's  cup  ;  a  sleep  the 
very  counterfeit  of  death ;  and  indeed  1  might  well 
have  fancied  myself  in  that  monster's  grim  presence, 
were  not  the  breathing  of  my  companions  audible 
enough  to  dispel  the  delusion.  A  suflfocating  steam 
arose  from  their  heated  bodies  and  scarcely  able  to 
breath,  I  climbed  upon  a  stall  and  put  my  face  to  a 
small  opening  to  catch  a  breath  of  the  pure  atmos- 
mosphere  from  without.  The  cool  air  invigorated 
me  greatly,  and  being  in  no  hurry  to  forgo  to  much 
enjoyment  I  lingered  there,  looking  wistfully  out 
upon  freedom. 


OR,   THE   HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  31 

I  had  just  satisfied  myself  that  the  camp  was  almost 
entirely  deserted  and  that  the  firing  came  from  the 
direction  of  the  city,  when  a  gruff  voice  admonished 
me  to  "git  out  o'  that,"  and  looking  down  I  beheld  a 
sentinel  with  his  piece  presented  toward  me. 

"What  harm  can  I  possibly  do  by  standing  here, 
my  man,"  said  I ;  "I  am  only  catching  some  fresh 
air." 

"Might  catch  more'n  fresh  air  if  you  don't  git," 
said  the  fellow,  handling  the  lock  of  his  musket  me- 
nacingly. 

"But  I'll  suffocate  below  here." 

"Suffocate  and  be  d — n,"  said  he,  bringing  the 
musket  to  his  shoulder. 

"Miserable  bondage,"  I  cried  as  I  sprang  from  my 
perch  to  the  ground;  "miserable  bondage  that  denies 
a  nan  even  breath  enough  to  fill  his  lungs." 

"Might  I  be  permitted  to  suggest,"  said  a  voice  at 
my  side,  "that  any  addition  to  the  present  uncomfort- 
able state  of  the  atmosphere,  in  the  shape  of  caloric, 
might  add  to  our  discomfort." 

"I  should  have  little  fear  of  such  a  disaster,  sir,  if 
impertinence  were  calculated  to  forestall  it,"  I  rejoin- 
ed, not  deigning  to  notice  the  speaker. 

"In  what  shape  shall  I  administer  the  antidote 
then  ?"  continued  he  with  a  low  chuckle. 

"In  any  shape  you  please,"  I  replied,  "so  long  as  it 
proves  effective." 

"Let  us  try  then.  In  the  first  place  take  off  your 
coat;  in  the  second,  make  a  fan  of  your  hat;  thirdly, 
sit  down  or  lie  down  as  I  do,  and"^  lastly,  think  of 
everything  on  earth  but  one  thing — the  lieat." 
^  "Yery  good  in  theory,  not  worth  a  cent  in  prac- 
tice." 

"But  I  have  tried  it." 

"And  1  do  not  choose  to." 


32  SAVED   BY    A    WOMAN; 

"Acknowledge  that  you  have  a  very  bad  temper/' 

"Which  might  be  tried  too  geverely,  sir,"  I  quickly 
rejoined,  turning  angrily  towar^  the  speaker,  whom  I 
was  dumbfounded  to  find  was  none  other  than  my 
friend  'Slippery  Frank.* 

"McPherton,"  I  cried,  "forgive  my  hasty  words  ;  I 
did  not  recognize  your  voice,"  and  walking  for\v^ard  I 
shook  his  hand  warmly. 

"Oh,  I  was  sure  of  that,"  said  he,  with  a  laugh ; 
"I  rather  enjoyed  your  mistake.  Sit  down ;  it  is 
rather  better  near  the  earth,  which  to  a  degree  is  cool. 
Bad  enough  anywhere,  however,  one  might  imagine 
'Hades'  to  be  only  a  foot  or  so  below  us." 

"Not  only  steaming  hot,  but  impure,"  I  said ; 
"what  in  heaven's  name  will  become  of  us  if  we  are 
left  thus  much  longer?" 

"We  will  not  be,  I  think.  They  must  bring  us 
food  before  long,  and  the  opening  of  the  door  will 
help  our  condition  greatly.  Besides,  I  am  in  hopes 
that  then,  seeing  our  condition,  they  will  be  humane 
enough  to  remedy  it." 

"1  trust  your  hopeful  conjectures  may  prove  cor- 
rect,'' I  rejoined,  "for  this  is  a  little  more  than  I  can 
patiently  endure." 

"What  a  day  was  yesterday,"  said  my  companion, 
musingly,  "I  confess  I  am  not  so  much  pleased  with 
my  adventure  as  1  expected  to  be." 

"You  told  me  yesteiday  that  your  captivity  was 
voluntarily  brought  about  by  yourself." 

"Yes,  I  put  myself  purposely  in  the  way  of  it  and 
I  now  occupy  the  position  of  a  spy,  by  comptilsion 
This  must  not  be  long,  however,  for  I  must  see  Led- 
better  before  this  time  to-morrow.  How,  is  the  ques- 
tion." 

"I  fear  you  are  over  sanguine,  sir,"  said  I.     "They 


OR,  THE  HIDDEN  ROMANCE.  33 

are  watching  every  rat-hole  in  the  building,  as  you 
have  6een.'' 

''Perhaps  I'm;  and  yet  I  have  done  it  before,  but, 
hist,  thev  are  unbarring  the  door ;  remember,  I  am 
farmer  Speers.'' 

The  heavy  oaken  door  was  now  unbarred,  and  while 
several  armed  men  guarded  the  entrance  a  large  tray 
of  biscuits,  a  dish  of  fried  bacon,  two  buckets  of 
water,  and  several  large  vessels  filled  with  steaming 
coffee,  were  brought  in  and  spread  out  upon  the 
ground.  While  this  was  being  done  McPherson  and 
I,  the  only  two  upon  our  legs,  stood  as  near  to  the 
door  as  possible  and  drank  in  the  delicious  fresh  air 
which  poured  through  the  entrance;  nor  were  we 
modest  in  the  matter  of  explaining  our  wretched 
condition  and  of  appealing  to  the  humanity  of  our 
captors  to  the  end  that  it  might  be  bettered.  _  A 
gruff  answer  or  two  was  all  that  we  got  for  our  pains, 
however,  and  the  door  slammed  in  our  faces  almost 
as  soon  as  it  had  been  opened. 

•'  this  is  inhuman  ;  it  is  brutal,"  I  said,  turning 
away  in  disgust ;  "  what  of  your  predictions  now, 
friend  Speers  ?" 

"  D—n,"  he  muttered  between  his  teeth,  while  he 
stamped  the  unconscious  earth  with  his  feet  to  vent 
his  anger. 

"  Becoming  rather  interesting,"  said  I,  with  a  fee- 
ble attempt  at  pleasantry. 

"  (>,  ho  !  that  is  your  "humor,  is  it  ?"  said  the  other 
with  ^  sickly  smile  ;  "  you  are  right.  It  is  much  bet- 
ter than  to  rave,  after  all.  Ridicule  what  is  unpleas- 
ant to  us  and  it  loses  half  its  poignancy." 

"We  certainly  have  the  advantage  of  'anything  we 
can  laugh  at,"  I  replied  ;  "  but  come,  let  us  break  our 
fast.  There  is  nothing  so  calculated  to  help  a  man's 
feelings,  whether  bodily,  or  mental,  as  a  full  stona- 

3 


34  SAVED  BY  A  WOMAN  ; 

ach.  See,  these  biscuits  are  bj  no  means  bad,  and 
this  bacon  is  done  to  a  turn.  Mj  dear  fellow,  'there 
is  a  sweet  in  every  bitter.'  " 

"  There's  no  sweet  in  that  bitter,  I'll  be  sworn," 
said  he,  as  he  made  a  wry  face  and  shuddered,  after 
swallowing  a  mouthful  of  the  unsweetened  coffee. 
"  Taste  that,  and  deny  the  adage  ever  after." 

"  On  the  contrary,  I  should  be  but  the  more  firmly 
convinced  of  its  truth/' 

"Pray  explain  yourself.'' 

"Certainly.  You  say  the  coffee  is  bitter  ;  now 
this  proves  its  strength,  and  weak  coffee  is  worthless. 
The  very  bitter,  therefore,  is  sweet  in  disguise." 

"Balderdash,"  said  McPherson  ;  "give  me  undis- 
guised sweets  then.  But  listen :  the  firing  is  more 
rapid  now;  do  j^ou notice  it  ?" 

"  Yes ;  and  by  the  way,  what  is  your  explanation 
concerning  this  irregular  firing  ?" 

"Merely  feeling  Ledbetter's  strength,  nothing 
more,''  said  he. 

"  Do  you  think  so  ;  and  why  V 

"  The  force  is  too  small  to  attempt  anything  more; 
Ledbetter  is  too  well  fortified  for  that ;  and,  besides, 
Negley's  men  are  scattered  all  over  the  country.  Two- 
thirds  of  them  are  out  foraging  ;  the  camp  is  merely 
a  place  of  rendezvous  selected  to  watch  Ledbetter 
and  hold  him  in  check,  while  the  coast  is  kept  clear 
for  the  business  of  pillaging  and  capturing  the  un- 
wary." 

"This  is  part  of  '  Negley's'  division,  then  ?" 

"Yes." 

"  And  have  they  no  one  to  fear  but  Ledbetter  ?" 

"  They  have  Morgan  to  fear,  but  as  yet  they  do  not 
know  it?" 
"  Ah !  May  we  not  be  rescued,  then  ?" 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  35 

"  Scarcely  that.  The  place  is  not  suited  for  a  sur- 
prise, and  they  will  not  fight  him  openly.'' 

"  You  think  they  will  run  V 

"  Yes ;  and  take  you  with  them." 

"  And  you  ?  " 

"  I  go  to  Chattanooga.'' 

"  Yery  easy,"  said  I,  laughing — "  to  escape  first  and 
swim  the  river  after." 

"  And  yet  I  will  do  it,"  paid  he. 

"Nay,"  said  I.  "I  do  not  doubt  it;  lam  only 
curious  to  know  hoio  you  will  do  it." 

"  Oh,  that  must  depend  upon  circumstances,''  he 
returned,  as  he  strode  away  in  a  thoughtful  mood. 

One  by  one,  the  prisoners  now  began  to  awaken, 
and  to  hasten  eagerly  toward  the  meal  which  had  been 
so  unceremoniously  served,  and  ere  long  quite  a  crowd 
had  gathered  around  it.  Having  eaten  all  I  desired, 
I  sought  again  for  McPherson  whom  I  soon  found, 
leaning  against  one  of  the  stalls  and  conversing  with 
a  man  wh'  m  at  a  glance  I  recognized  as  the  same 
who  had  so  generously  helped  along  the  feeble  old 
victim  of  yesterday's  tragedy. 

"  Here  he  comes  now,"  said  McPherson,  as  I 
walked  up ;  then  turning  to  me  he  continued,  "  our 
Irish  friend  here  was  just  speaking  of  your  narrow 
etcape  of  yesterday." 

"  Bedad,"  said  that  individual,  extending  his  hand 
to  me,  "it's  Barney  O'Hare  as  never  seen  a  narrower, 
sir.     Sure  I  thought  you  were  gone  entirely." 

"  A  close  call,"  said  I,  shaking  his  proffered  hand, 
"  and  what  on  earth  saved  me  I  cannot  tell." 

"  They're  quick,  these  farmers,  sir;"  said  Barney, 
looking  admiringly  at  McPherson,  "  may  be  he  didn't 
bounce  on  the  dirty  spalpeen ;  and  may  be  he  didn't 
lave  as  quick  as  he  came.*' 


36  SAVED   BY    A   WOMAN; 

"  What  mean  you,"  said  I  looking  from  one  to  the 
other,  "can  it  be  possible  that" — 

"  It's  truth  I'm  telling  you,  sir,"  interrupted  the  son 
of  Erin.     "Barney  O'Hare's  eyes  niver  desaves  him." 

"  Am  I  to  understand  from  this,"  said  1,  turning  to 
McPherson,  "  that  I  owe  my  life  to  your  generous 
interference  ?" 

"  Mf.Pherson  answered  not  a  word,  but  the  Irish- 
man executed  a  series  of  nods,  evidently  intended  as 
an  affirmative  answer  to  my  query. 

"  Speak,"  said  I,  looking  steadily  at  the  scout,  "tell 
me  in  plain  words  whether  or  not  I  owe  you  my 
life?"-^ 

"  1  disturbed  the  fellow's  aim,"  he  said  ;  "  otherwise 
he  might  have  hit  you.'' 

"  My  dear  friend,''  I  said,  not  without  emotion, 
"  let  me  thank  you  most  sincerely.  I  might  have 
known  that  some  one  had  interposed  in  my  behalf  ; 
and  yet,  strangely  enough  it  never  once  occurred  to 
me.  It  is  not  likely  that  I  can  ever  repay  such  an 
obligation  ;  but  if  chance — '' 

"  Balderdash,"  said  McPherson,  interrupting  me 
with  his  favorite  expression  of  dissatisfaction.  "  It 
was  nothing — say  no  more  about  it,"  and  thrusting 
his  hands  in  his  trousers  pockets,  he  whistled  a  tune 
and  walked  away. 

I  turned  to  the  Irishman  then,  and  plied  him  with 
questions,  curious  to  know  every  particular  of  the 
generous  action,  but  Barney  was  not  so  well  informed 
as  I  supposed. 

"  It's  little  I  can  tell  you,  sir,  after  all,"  said  he  ;  "1 
was  looking  at  the  fellow  with  the  pistol,  and  scraming 
murther,  win  all  at  once,  a  body  bounded  by  me,  and 
lit  on  tap  of  him.  Then  1  heard  the  report,  and  the 
ould  man  fell." 


OR,  THE  HIDDEN  ROMANCE.  37 

"  And  this  is  all  you  know  ?" 

"Divil  a  more,  sir;  but  if  you  are  not  above  a 
piece  of  advice  from  an  honest  man,  I'd  say  look 
sharp  for  that  villain.  Shure  he'd  the  devil's  own, 
sir,  and  he'll  be  after  murtherin'  you  behind  your 
back.  Sorrow  bit  of  a  chance  he'll  give  you,  sir,  and 
don't  you  forget  that  same." 

"Tiiank  you,  Barney,"  said  I ;  "your  warning 
shall  not  be  unheeded." 

I  had  scarcel_y  spoken  when  the  unbarring  of  the 
door  again  attracted  our  attention,  and  I  was  not  a  lit- 
tle surprised  to  see  an  officer  and  two  privates  enter, 
closing  the  door  behind  them.  A  conversation  in  a 
low  tone  now  took  place  between  the  former  and  one 
of  the  privates,  and  immediately  afterward  my  own 
name  rang  out  clear  and  sharp. 

"Here,"  I  said,  stepping  forward  and  confronting 
the  officer;  "what  do  you  wish  of  me,  sir  ?" 

"  Ah,  ha  !  you  are  the  man,  are  you,"  said  he,  eye- 
ing me  sternly,  and  immediately  afterward  he  began, 
in  a  lower  voice,  to  read  from  an  open  letter  which 
he  held  in  his  hand.  His  words  were  not  intended 
for  my  ears,  but  my  senses  being  keenly  on  the  alert 
I  was  enabled  to  catch  some  of  them  : 

"  Tall,  large  ;  black    moustache,  hair  *  *;  eyes  ^ 
handsome  *  *  ;  age  *  * ;  slight  stoop,  etc.,  etc.    Yery 
good   description ;  pretty   accurate,  and  you  are  the 
man,  are  you  ?" 

"  I  am  the  person  whose  name  you  called,"  I  said, 
"what  would  you  with  me?" 

"  Oh,  you  will  find  that  out  soon  enough,  I  fancy  ; 
quite  a  shrewd  looking  young  chap  ;  and  now  for  your 
friend.     What  name  did  you  say,  Douglass  ?" 

"  Speers,  Colonel — Jim  Speers  ;  yonder  he  stands.'' 

"  Fetch  him  up,  then,  and  be  quick  about  it,  for 
this  place  is  as  hot  as  h — 11." 


38  SAVED  BY  A  WOMAN  ; 

The  private  called  Dougla?8  now  advanced  toward 
McPherson,  who  was  standing  some  distance  from  us, 
and  I  immediately  heard  the  loud  voice  of  the  sup- 
posed farmer  in  angry  protestation. 

"  Go  to  the  devil !"  cried  he  ;  "I  am  safe  enough 
here.  Why  in  the  thunder  do  you  want  to  move  us. 
I  tell  you,  I'd  rather  stay  among  my  friends,  as  hot 
as  it  is,  than  go  outside  among  vou  blamed  Yan- 
kees." 

But  in  spite  of  all  this  he  was  brought  to  where  we 
stood  and  unceremoniously  handcuffed — an  indignity 
which  I  myself  was  made  to  share. 

"  I*^ow  march  them  out  and,  mind  you,  guard  them 
well,''  said  the  officer,  throwing  wide  the  door;  "they 
must  not  escape,  d'ye  hear?" 

"  They  will  not  escape  ine^  Colonel,"  said  Douglass, 
and  there  was  so  much  bitterness  evident  in  his  low, 
sarcastic  voice,  that  I  looked  quickly  at  him  and 
recognized  the  Sergeant  who  had  figured  so  inglori- 
ously  in  the  tragedy  of  the  day  before. 

A  vague  feeling  of  uneasiness,  took  possession  of 
me,  but  careful  to  conceal  any  emotion  of  this  nature,  I 
assumed  an  air  of  unconcern  and  returned  the  fellow's 
insolent  leer  with  a  smile  of  contempt. 

"Good  morrow,  brave  knight,''  I  said;  "is  it  pos- 
sible that  you  wear  a  private's  uniform  after  your 
noble  exploit  of  yesterday?  You  should  have  been 
promoted  to  a  captaincy  at  the  least." 

"Go  to  h — 11,"  he  said,  "and  shut  up.  You'll  sing 
another  tune  soon." 

"  Oh,  you  dirthy  villain,''  cried  Barney,  who  walked 
up  in  time  to  interrupt  the  contemptuous  reply  I  was 
about  to  make;  "  sure  it's  a  nate  lick  I  could  give  you 
this  minute.   Look  out  for  him,  your  honor — look  out 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  39 

for  the  blackguard ;  divil  a  scruple  there  is  in  his 
raurtherin  heart,  the  thafe." 

A  roar  of  laughter  followed  these  words,  which 
were  accompanied  by  a  series  of  warlike  gesticula- 
tions ;  and  amid  the  confusion  which  followed,  we 
were  led  forth  into  the  open  air.  Not  for  long  how- 
ever, were  we  destined  to  enjoy  the  sense  of  freedom, 
which  unrestricted  sight  and  action  afforded  us,  and 
which  was  none  the  less  pleasurable  because  it  was 
unreal ;  for  hardly  had  the  angry  voice  of  the  Irishman 
died  away,  when,  having  walked  toward  the  centre  of 
the  encampment,  we  were  halted  before  a  tent,  and 
ordered  to  enter.  Why  we  ^^  ere  brought  here  was  a  puz- 
zle to  us  then,  and  it  is  a  puzzle  to  me  to  this  day. 
Having  entered  our  new  prison,  our  handcuffs  were 
at  once  removed  much  to  our  Joy,  and  this  was  another 
mystery  to  us. 

"  Good,"  said  McPherson,  when  we  were  alone,  "  I 
am  just  one  hundred  yards  nearer  to  Chattanooga;" 
and  he  flung  himself'  at  full  length  upon  the  hard 
earth — the  only  flooring  to  the  tent.  A  few  moments 
later,  he  was  tasting  of  what  habit  had  enabled  him 
at  any  moment  to  command — a  refreshing  sleep. 


40  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 


CHAPTER  YII. 

I  began  at  once  to  explore  my  tent,  but  there  being 
literally  nothing  to  discover,  I  eoon  wearied  of  a 
search  so  barren,  and  flinging  myself  beside  my  snor- 
ing companion,  I  became  a  prey  to  gloomy  reflection. 
The  occasional  booming  of  a  single  cannon  ;  the 
measured  tramp  of  our  guards,  one  at  each  end  of 
the  tent ;  the  loud  regular  breathing  of  McPherson, 
and  now  and  then  the  sound  of  a  bugle,  faintly  heard 
in  the  distance,  all  these  fell  upon  my  senses  with 
saddening  effect.  Yisions  of  home  and  friends ;  of 
places  I  had  visited ;  of  scenes  I  had  witnessed ;  of 
pleasures  and  of  sorrows,  crowded  before  me  in  quick 
succession.  Yisions  that  at  another  time  and  under 
different  circumstances,  would  each  have  held  some 
separate  pleasure  to  bestow ;  or  else  such  tempered 
sadness,  as  softens  rather  than  wuunds  the  heart;  but 
now  as  if  the  shadows  of  a  dark  future  were  casting 
their  sombre  colors  upon  the  picture  of  the  past, 
they  brought  with  them  no  pleasure.  It  seemed  rather 
that  they  had  come  to  bid  me  a  last  farewell,  than  to 
brighten  the  gloomy  prospect  before  me. 

A  vague  sense  of  impending  danger  poisoned  my 
every  thought,  and  in  spite  of  all  my  efforts  to  the 
contrary  I  grew  momentarily  more  nervous  and 
uneasy.  I  tried  in  vain  to  sleep.  Hardly  would  I 
close  my  eyes  when  some  horrible  dream  would  cause 
me  to  start  and  shrink  from — I  knew  not  what.  And 
in  these  half-waking  fancies,  two  faces  always  ap- 
peared :  the  demon-like  countenance  of  the  man  Doug- 
lass, and,  in  vivid  contrast,  the  angelic  features  of  my 


OR,   THE   HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  41 

mother.  The  one  passion-distorted,  fiend-like ;  the 
other  serene  and  peaceful ;  the  one  on  some  terrible 
purpose  bent,  and  the  other  ever  ready  to  thwart  it. 
At  length  I  closed  my  eyes,  determined  no  longer  ta 
struggle  against  what  seemed  decreed  I  should  endure, 
and  scarcely  had  I  done  so  ere  I  fancied  I  saw  my 
mother's  face  looking  into  mine.  The  dream,  if 
dream  it  could  have  been,  was  as  vivid  as  life.  I  heard 
her  gentle  breathing;  I  felt  her  breath  softly  fan  my 
cheek.  Then  distinctly  I  heard  her  lips  frame  the 
one  word,  "  beware  ;"  and  with  an  arm  outstretched, 
she  pointed  with  her  finger  toward  the  entrance  of 
the  tent,  while  her  figure  slowly  retreated,  backing 
away  from  me.  Unable  longer  to  endure  this,  I 
opened  my  eyes  and  arose  to  my  feet.  The  vision 
was  gone  ;  but  there  in  the  doorway,  his  eyes  gleaming 
with  hatred,  and  fixed  intently  upon  me,  was  the 
hated  and  hateful  face  of  my  enemy,  Douglass.  An 
illy  suppressed  cry  aro3e  to  ray  lips,  and  staggering 
back,  I  clutched  at  the  canvass  wall  of  the  tent  for 
support.     In  an  instant  McPherson  was  at  my  side. 

"In  heaven's  name  what  ails  you,  man,"  he  cried, 
looking  with  wonder  about  him  ;  "you  tremble  in 
every  limb.     Have  you  seen  a  ghost?" 

The  question  made  me  start  anew.  It  was  the 
same  that  I  had  put  to  the  French  barber  but  a  few 
nights  before  and  under  circumstances  not  very  unlike 
the  present. 

"  A  ghost,"  I  said,  "a  ghost ;  by  heaven  man,  you 
have  very  nearly  hit  the  mark ;  for  I  saw  my  mother 
as  plainly  as  I  now  see  you  ;  I  heard  her  speak  in  her 
own  familiar  voice  as  plainly  as  I  have  just  heard  you, 
and  she  has  been  dead  these  many  months." 

"  Hum,"  said  McPherson,  "  'tis  strange,  but  I  was 
dreaming  something  of  the  sort  myself ;  I  wish  I  had 


42  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

a  drink,"  and  for  the  first  time  I  knew  that  he  was 
superstitious. 

"  Bat  this  is  not  all,''  I  continued,  "I  am  complete- 
ly unmanned,  and  as  soon  as  I  shake  off  this  horrible 
gpell  I  will  tell  you  more.  I  must  believe  that  yes- 
terday's hardships,  coming  so  soon  after  my  illness, 
were  too  much  for  me.     My  brain  is  in  a  whirlwind." 

"  When  you  begin,"  said  McPherson,  coming  near- 
er to  me  and  speaking  in  a  lower  tone,  "be  careful  and 
not  raise  your  voice  too  high — look  there." 

Following  the  direction  of  his  arm  I  saw  the  out- 
lined figure  of  a  man  standing  still  just  outside  of 
the  tent. 

It  could  have  been  none  other  than  Douglass. 

"  That  man  again,"  I  whispered,  "I  tell  you  Mc- 
Pherson, the  earth  is  too  small  to  hold  us  both,  unless 
one  or  the  other  be  six  feet  below  its  surface.  The 
one  purpose  of  his  life  henceforth  is  to  destroy  mine." 

"I  am  afraid  there  is  too  much  truth  in  what  you 
say,"  answered  he  ;  "may  not  this  mysterious  separa- 
tion from  our  companions  be  the  first  act  of  some 
deep  laid  tragedy  ?" 

"  I  have  thought  so,  nay  I  am  sure  of  it,  and  yet  I 
cannot  conceive  of  such  terrible  hatred  as  this,  spring- 
ing into  life,  as  it  were,  in  an  instant." 

"  The  cause  is  sufficient  for  some  natures." 

"  You  not  only  struck  him  down  before  a  multi- 
tude, humiliating  and  degrading  him  before  them  all, 
but  you  lo«t  him  his  epaulets  and  the  favor  of  his 
officers.  He  is  but  a  private  to-day,  yesterday  he 
was  a  sergeant." 

"But  you?" 

"  I  ? — oh  I,  thwarted  his  vengeance  ;  think  you 
he  knew  not  who  did  it?"  "But,"  continued  he,  "we 
fear  him  not  my  friend  ;  we  fear  him  not." 


OR, 

"  N"eitlier  do  I  fear  a  rattlesnake  so  long  as  I  can 
866  and  avoid  him  or  give  him  open  battle.  I  fear 
no  open  enemy ;  but  what  of  the  coward  ;  the  assas- 
sin? The  man  who  would  coolly  and  relentlessly 
work  your  ruin  without  once  showing  his  hand  in  the 
plot.  You  should  have  seen  his  face  as  he  peered  at 
me  through  that  door  but  a  moment  ago  ;  I  shudder 
yet  to  think  of  it.  But  this  reminds  me,  I've  a  story 
to  tell  you,  sit  down." 

I  now  related  to  my  friend  all  that  I  had  undergone 
while  he  was  asleep,  omitting  nothing,  and  I  perceiv- 
ed that  he  listened  to  me  with  more  than  common 
interest.  When  I  had  finished  he  turned  thoughtful- 
ly away  without  a  word. 

The  day  was  now  far  spent,  and  already  the  shad- 
ows of  approaching  night  were  stealing  o'er  the 
camp.  McPherson  sat  moodily  in  one  corner  of  the 
tent  wrapt  in  his  own  thoughts,  while  I,  equally 
occupied  with  mine,  walked  to  and  fro  chafing  at  my 
confinement. 

At  length  the  night  came.  The  firing  of  the  can- 
non had  ceased,  and  the  camp  was  fast  filling  with 
tired  troops.  A  little  after  dark  a  similar  meal  to 
that  of  the  morning  was  brought  us,  but  we  did 
little  more  than  taste  it ;  neither  being  in  the  humor 
for  eating.  Later  still  our  guards  were  relieved,  and 
this  proved  the  signal  which  was  to  awaken  my 
companion  into  activity. 

He  afose  and  shook  his  massive  frame  as  if  to  cast 
off  his  gloomy  broodings  and  prepare  himself  for  a 
coming  struggle. 

"The  time  for  action  has  arrived,"  he  said,  ap- 
proaching me.  "If  I  need  your  help  I  can  count 
upon  it." 

"  Most  certainly,"  I  answered. 


44  SAVED   BY   A    WOMAN; 

"  I  was  sure  of  it.  Now  I  am  going  to  play  a  bold 
game ;  such  are  ever  the  safest,  and  I  avill  need  your 
help.  There  is  no  occasion  whatever  for  me  to  reveal 
ray  plans;  you  will  see  all  for  yourself.  I  wish  it 
were  so  you  could  escape  with  me,  but  that  is  impos- 
sible, since  one  of  us  must  remain  in  order  that  the 
other  may  go.  I  would  willingly  be  that  one,  believe 
me,  but  I  have  dispatches  which  it  is  my  duty  to 
deliver  in  person.     And  again" — 

"  Say  no  more,"  said  I  interrupting  him  ;  "I  would 
not  leave  you  here  were  there  no  such  considerations 
in  existence." 

"  Enough  then."  We  will  meet  again,  I  hope,  and 
under  difierent  circumstances.  Believe  me,  I  have 
taken  a  warm  interest  in  you,  and  I  wish  you  well. 
Now  take  this  for  what  it  is  worth :  Whenever  you 
receive  such  warnings  as  that  of  to-day,  heed  them  to 
the  letter.  Let  the  wise  (?)  scoff  at  such  superstition 
if  they  will,  their  hearts  are  full  of  doubts  while  they 
laugh  them  to  scorn.  Who  is  he  who  dare  lay  claim 
to  wisdom,  co-equal  with  that  of  his  Maker,  by  affect- 
ing a  knowledge  of  the  mysteries  which  rule  the 
other  world  ?  You  look  at  me  with  surprise.  What 
if  I  tell  you  that  I  believe  we  all  have  some  one 
amonff  "the  pabt  and  gone"  to  watch  over  and  guide 
us?  Why  are  our  infant  lips  taught  to  pray  "Let 
angels  guard  us  while  we  sleep,"  and  how  is  it  we  so 
often  FEEL  an  invisible  presence  near  us  without 
knowing  who  or  what  it  is  ?  There  is  such  a  thing 
as  a  "guardian  angel,"  my  boy  ;  and  I  even  I,  have 
mine.  Your  mother  is  yours  ;  it  is  my  secret  who  is 
mine.  Enough  that  I  thank  God  for  it ;  enough  that 
I  believe  I  would  have  long  since  been  dead  did  she 
not  watch  over  me  by  day  and  by  night." 

He  had  spoken  throughout  rapidly  and  excitedly, 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  45 

but  now  as  if  a  suddenly  remembered  sorrow  choked 
down  his  further  utterance,  he  bowed  Jus  head  upon 
his  swelling  bosom  and  was  silent.  Respecting  his 
emotion  I  said  nothing,  waiting  for  him  to  continue. 

"There,"  he  said  at  length,  "I  have  said  too  much 
already.  Remember  only  the  few  words  of  advice, 
forget  the  rest."  And  without  waiting  for  me  to  re- 
ply, he  walked  boldly  to  the  door  of  the  tent  and 
hailed  the  guard.  v     i  » 

"Hello,  out  thar,"  he  cried,  "this  way,  Yank. 

"What's  the  racket,  Johnnie  Reb  ?"  said  the  fellow, 
looking  in  at  the  entrance. 

"What's  the  racket?"  said  McPherson,  never  once 
f orgeting  his  assumed  character  ;  "what's  the  racket  ? 
—a   chaw   of    terbacky's   the  racket;  have  you  got 

one?" 

"Naw,"  drawled  out  the  guard,  "de'ont  chew,  keep 
quiet,  whyaint  yer  to  sleep,  git  e'out,"  and  he  re- 
sumed his  monotonous  tramp  without  further  parley. 

"Can't  see  him  very  plainly,"  muttered  McPlierson, 
"but  I  guess  he's  not  hard  to  manage,"  and  with  this 
he  chuckled  to  himself  and  walked  away. 

1  watched  his  further  movements  with  momenta- 
rily increasing  interest.  He  moved  stealthily  to  the 
back  of  the  tent  and  listened  intently  for  a  moment, 
then,  as  if  satisfied,  he  began  rifling  his  pockets  of 
their  contents.  These  were  not  numerous ;  a  hand- 
kerchief, a  piece  of  chewing  tobacco,  a  few  old  letters, 
and  a  small  sun-glass  being  their  sum  total.  Next  he 
took  off  his  coat  and  laid  it  aside.  Then  doffing  his 
hat  he  took  from  its  inner  lining  a  small  slip  of  white 
paper,  and  carefully  placing  this  among  the  letters, 
he  tied  the  whole  into  a  bundle  with  his  handker- 
chief. This  he  shoved  into  his  trowsers'  pocket  while 
he  threw  his  hat  on  the  top  of  his  coat.     Again  he 


46  SAVED    BY    A    WOMAN; 

approached  the  back  of  the  tent  and  listened  once 
more  breathlessly.  My  interest  in  his  movements 
now  became  intense,  for  instinctively  I  knew  that  the 
decisive  moment  had  well  nigh  arrived.  A  single  fee- 
ble ray  from  an  adjacent  camp-tire  struggled  through 
the  small  opening  at  the  door,  and  this  with  a  gorge- 
ous full  moon  afforded  a  light  whose  imperfection  in- 
creased the  mystery  and  heightened  the  interest  of  the 
moment.  McPherson  now  approached  me,  and  pro- 
ducing a  small  flat  package,  carefully  wrapped  in 
buckskin,  he  held  it  towards  me. 

"This,"  said  he,  has  saved  my  life  more  than  once. 
It  is  keener  than  a  knife,  and  more  silent,  and  held  at 
a  man's  throat  it  will  inspire  more  terror  than  all  the 
sabers  and  fire-arms  in  creation." 

So  saying  he  unwrapped  the  parcel  and  disclosed  a 
razor. 

"Good  Heavens  man,"  I  oried,  "this  is  horrible  ; 
you  do  not  mean  me  to — " 

"Certainly  not,"  said  he  interrupting  me,  "nobody's 
throat  shall  suffer ;  but  it  will  help  me  to  escape 
nevertheless.  Here  take  it,  for  'tis  in  }  our  hands  it 
must  serve  me,  and  now  farewell.  In  a  few  mo- 
ments more  I  shall  be  either  free  or — dead." 

I  grasped  his  hand  warmly.  "Farewell,"  said  I, 
"you  take  with  you  my  sincerest  wishes  for  your  suc- 
cess and  welfare.  You  have  given  me  no  particular 
'rale'  in  this  drama,  but  I  presume  I  shall  be  'prompt- 
ed.' " 

"When  the  curtain  rises,"  said  he,  catching  my 
humor,  and  pointing  to  the  canvas  door  of  the  tent, 
and  a  moment  later  he  had,  for  the  second  time,  boldly 
hailed  the  sentinel. 


OR,    THE    HIDDEISr    ROMANCE.  47 


CHAPTER  yill. 

The  events  of  the  next  few  moments  transpired 
much  more  rapidly  than  I  can  relate  them. 

"Se  here,  Yank,  I'm  powerful  bad  off  for  that  ter- 
backy,  darned  if  I  ain't,"  said  the  scout  when  the 
unsuspecting  guard  had  answered  his  summons. 
"Now  I'm  willing  to  pay  for  it.  Just  you  look  at 
this.  It's  worth  ten  dollars  greenbacks,  five  hundred 
Confederate,  and  I'll  give  it  for  a  single  chaw  ter- 
backy." 

More  from  curiosity  than  with  any  intention  of 
striking  a  bargain,  the  man  approached  near  enough 
for  the  other's  purpose.  With  the  rapidity  of  light- 
ning the  powerful  right  arm  shot  out  and  the  muscu- 
lar fingers  closed  with  a  vice-like  grip  upon  the  throat 
of  the  unwary  sentinel.  He  was  given  no  time  to 
utter  a  single  cry,  nor  make  the  slightest  movement 
toward  defence,  so  sudden  was  the  onslaught.  He 
struggled  violently,  but  McPherson  took  good  care  it 
should  be  silently  as  well,  for  with  the  same  motion 
that  he  clutched  the  other's  throat,  the  scout's  left 
hand  had  gripped  his  belt,  and  now  he  held  the 
struggling  guard  at  arms  length,  his  feet  clear  of  the 
ground.  For  full  a  minute  he  held  him  thus,  while 
a  triumphant  smile  played  upon  his  features  and  a 
low  chuckling  escaped  from  his  lips.  There  was  not 
the  slightest  trace  of  excitement  about  him,  but  there 
was  a  merciless  determination  plainly  legible  in  his 
whole  "mien,"  which  the  struggling  man  soon  read 
aright,  and  which  caused  him  to  forego  his  efforts 
to  free  himself. 

"Ah,  you  submit  do  you,"  said  McPherson  coolly, 


48  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

"I  was  afraid  you  would  oblige  me  to  send  you  to  king- 
dom-come or  yankee-dom — or  here,  be  still  sir;  off 
with  your  coat." 

But  the  latter  command  was  not  obeyed,  for  the 
■man  being  now  choked  into  insensibility,  sunk  list- 
lessly to  the  ground.  McPherson  released  his  grip 
and  immediately  began  to  strip  the  guard  of  his 
uniform  coat  and  cap.  These  he  himself  as  quickly 
donned,  and  picking  up  the  musket  of  the  still  un- 
conscious soldier,  he  turned  to  me. 

"Now,"'  said  he,  with  a  smile,  "your  time  comes. 
He  will  soon  regain  his  senses.  Stand  over  him;  nay, 
fit  upon  him,  and  keep  your  hand  loosely  upon  his 
throat,  ready  to  stifle  his  first  cry.  Show  him  the 
razor  if  he  attempts  to  struggle,  and  keep  him  so, 
until  you  hear  the  hoot  of  an  owl  in  the  direction  of 
the  river,  then  you  may  let  him  go.  But  stay,  you 
may  use  his  present  helplessness  to  good  purpose. 
What  if  3^ou  menace  him  into  a  promise  to  suppress 
i^'our  part  in  this  night's  work.  Think  well  of  it, 
you  may  save  yourself  much  misery.  And  now,  once 
more,  farewell ;  I  only  await  his  return  to  life  to 
venture  forth." 

"Farewell,  and  success  attend  you,"  said  I,  "but 
why  wait  for  him  to  regain  his  senses  ?" 

"I  must  have  the  countersign,"  said  he,  "see — 
already  he  moves;  at  your  post,  quick." 

I  sprang  astraddle  of  the  prostrate  man  and  grasped 
his  throat,  while  I  held  the  keen  blade  of  the  razor 
close  to  his  face.  1  had  not  long  to  wait,  ere  a  fee- 
ble sigh  escaped  him  and  he  slowly  unclosed  his  eyes. 
A  shudder  passed  over  him  as  he  comprehended  his 
situation,  and  he  closed  his  eyes  again  without  at- 
tempting to  utter- a  word  or  make  a  single  motion. 

"Lie  quiet,  my  man,  and  you  shall  not  be  harmed," 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  49 

I  said,  and  I  added  no  menace  seeing  it  was  altoi^jether 
useless. 

"Tlie  countersign,  quick,"  said  the  scout,  placing 
the  fixed  bayonet  of  his  own  musket  against  the 
fallen  man's  breast — "quick,  I  say,  or  bv  Heaven — " 

"The  star  of , the  touth  is  settting,"  sa-'d  the  sentinel 
in  a  feeble  voice. 

"Thank  you  for  a  lie,"  said  McPherson,  and  noise- 
lessly but  quickly  he  bounded  from  the  tent  and  left 
me  alone  with  my  prisoner. 

Each  moment  now  seemed  an  hour,  an  hour  would 
have  seemed  a  life-time.  My  heart  beat  against  my 
breast  as  if  trying  to  burst  from  its  confinement  and 
follow  the  footsteps  of  the  friend,  for  whose  sake  it 
was  undergoing  all  the  agonies  of  suspense.  My 
every  nerve  was  strung  to  the  highest  pitch,  and  I 
listened  with  an  eagerness,  painful  in  its  intensity, 
for  the  least  unusual  sound,  that  might  betoken 
alarm  or  pursuit.  Nor  were  my  fears  without  founda- 
tion. I  well  knew  that  if  recaptured  and  in  a  new 
character,  the  daring  scout  would  be  carefully  search- 
ed, and  the  finding  of  dispatches  upon  him  would 
seal  his  fate  as  a  spy.  Nothing  occurred,  however,  to 
increase  the  fears  which  already  racked  mc.  The 
measured  steps  of  the  one  sentinel  without  and  the 
other  sounds — very  few  and  indistinct  they  were,  for  all 
that  host  was  sleeping — served  rather  to  increase,  by 
contrast,  the  stillness  of  the  night.  My  prisoner  all 
this  time  lay  beneath  me  with  half  closed  eyes,  and 
with  alistless  submission  I  little  anticipated.  This,  per- 
haps, was  less  from  fear  than  froiUjf.the  extreme  ex- 
haustion which  succeeded  his  violent  struggles.  Two 
minutes  must  now  have  elapsed  since  my  friend  had 
left  me,  and  believing  he  must  by  this  time  have 
safely    passed     the    pickets,    I     began    to     breathe 


50  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

more  freelj.  I  listened  now  with  all  my  former 
eagerness  for  another  sound,  that  which  would  pro- 
claim his  freedom,  and  scarely  had  I  concluded  that 
I  might  at  any  moment  expert  the  welcome  signal 
ere  it  came  with  a  distinct  and  exultant  quiver,  dis- 
pelling my  fears  and  filling  me  with  a  sense  of  hap- 
piness, from  which  even  the  gloomy  uncertainty  of 
my  own  situation  could  nothing  detract. 

"There,"  said  I  to  the  prostrated  man,  as  I  released 
him,  and  sprung  to  my  feet ;  "there,  do  you  hear 
that  ?     What  means  it,  think  you  ?" 

"  I  can  guess,"  said  he,  as  he  slowly  raised  himself 
on  his  elbow  and  began  to  nurse  his  swollen  throat. 

"  No  need  to  guess,"  said  1,  "  I  will  tell  you.  It 
means  that  for  the  sixth  time  since  the  war  began 
'Slippery  Frank'  has  been  captured  and  had  made 
good  his  escape." 

"Ha!  it  was  he,  then  ?" 

"  Certainly  ;  I  have  no  wish  to  conceal  it  now.  And 
you  know  him,  do  you?" 

"  That  I  do  ;  and  I  am  not  likely  to  forget  him, 
either,"  said  he,  pointing  significantly  to  his  bruised 
and  swollen  throat,  which,  in  truth,  was  a  sight  to 
see. 

He  now  arose  slowly  to  his  feet  and  took  a  step 
toward  the  door.  I  made  no  effort  to  hinder  him ; 
seeing  which  he  stopped  and  said,  with  a  smile:  "I 
presume  I  may  go  now  since  your  purpose  la  accom- 
plished ?" 

"Tes,"  I  answered,  "go  and  arouse  the  camp  and 
have  me  put  in  ifens,  and  the  rest  of  it : — go  ;  1  only 
wonder  you  have  tarried  so  long  already." 

"  Possibly  I  have  a  purpose,  sir,"  he  answered,  "  are 
you  ready  to  listen  to  a  proposal  ?" 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  51 

"  Certainly,"  I  said,  "if  it  be  worth  the  trouble; 
go  on." 

"It  may  prove  beneficial,"  said  he,  still  smiling. 
"I  mean  mutually  beneficial,  of  course." 

"Indeed?" 

"  I  would  not  be  likely  to  propose  it  otherwise." 

"I  should  think  not.  But  first  tell  me  how  it  is 
your  friend  outside  is  so  quiet?/ 

"  Why,  he  is  as  deaf  as  a  post ;  did  you  not  knovv 
that  ?" 

"  Know  it ;  how  should  I  have  known  it  V 

"  And  yet  you  dared  what  you  did — the  other  knew 
it  then  ?" 

"  I  have  no  reason  to  think  so ;  in  fact  I  am  sure  he 
did  not." 

"Well  this  is  strange,"  said  he,  looking  thought- 
fully before  him;  "but,"  he  added,  raising  his  eyes 
to  mine,  "  but  mayhap  the  devil  takes  care  of  his 
own." 

"  Oh,  we  were  silent  enough,"  said  I,  "  when  there 
was  occasion  for  it ;  after  he  is  safe  I  care  not  how 
soon  'tis  known." 

"Nevertheless,  my  friend  would  have  heard  you 
had  he  not  been  deaf;  but  listen:  You  guess,  of 
course,  that  I  will  be  court-marshalled  for  this,  or  that 
such  a  thing  is  at  least  probable  ;  you  know,  also, 
that  Tou  will  be  loaded  with  irons  and  otherwise 
roughly  treated  for  your  part  in  it." 

"  Go  on,"  said  I,  "  I  begin  to  comprehend  you." 

"I  half  intended  to  propose  something  of  the  kind 
myself,  that  is  if  I  understand  yoii;^right." 

"Oh,  I  guess  you  do,"  said  he;  "  my  plan  is  sim- 
ple. Neither  of  us  will  know  how  he  got  away,  this 
will  clear  us  both — see?  In  twenty  minutes'  time 
the  relief  guard  will  come  i  nd  before  then  all  must 


52  SAVED    BY   A    WOMAN; 

be  arranged.  I  must  get  a  log  or  something  to  throw 
his  coat  over  and  to  put  his  hat  upon,  understand  ;  the 
imperfect  light  will  deceive  them,  and  I  will  take  care 
they  look  in.  I  must  also  get  myself  another  coat 
and'^  cap  and  another  musket.  But  to  do  all  this  I 
must  leave  you,  see  ?" 

"  It  is  all  plain  enough,"  said  I,  "  and  I  agree. 
Lose  no  time,  if  you  have  only  twenty  minutes  you 
must  use  them  well." 

"  Yes,  but  I  must  leave  you.  Will  you  stay  till  I 
return,  that  is  the  question  ?" 

"  You  need  not  fear,"  said  I ;  go,  I  will  not  leave, 
you  have  my  word.'' 

"  That  will  do,  then,  I'll  go  and  trust  to  luck  to 
find  what  I  want,"  and  so  saying  he  noiselessly  left 
me. 

In  a  very  few  moments  he  returned.  All  had  gone 
well  with  him,  he  said.  He  had  "lifted"  a  coat,  cap 
and  musket,  and  in  lieu  of  a  log  he  had  found  a  buni-h 
of  "  brush,"  which  was  just  the  thing. 

"  Now,  see,"  he  continued,  *'  I  lay  the  coat  over  the 
brush,  like  this,  and  put  the  hat  on,  like  that.  I 
spread  the  tail  of  the  coat  out  wide  enough  to  cover  a 
man's  legs  and  there  he  is  sleeping  snugly,  see  ?" 

"  A  master-piece  of  work,"  said  I ;  your  wooden 
nutmegs  pale  into  insignificance  beside  such  ingenuity 
as  this." 

"  Now,"  said  he,  not  noticing  my  remarks,  "  you  lie 
quief  beside  it  and  feign  sleep.  I  will  see  that  the 
ofticer  looks  in,  and  when  all  is  quiet  again  just  you 
fling  that  rebel's  coat  and  hat  in  one  corner  and  the 
brush  in  the  other  and  all  will  be  as  nice  as  you  please, 
see  ?" 

"Exactly,  sir  ;  I  will  do  as  you  say." 
"  And  you  wont  '  peech'  will  you  V 


OK,   THE   HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  53 

"  No,"  I  said  with  a  laugh,  "  I  will  not  *  peech.' '' 

"  All  right ;  I  reckon  I'll  leave  you  now.  Good- 
night V 

"  Good-night." 

He  left  me  and  walked  outside,  where  he  stood  lis- 
tening for  a  few  moments.  Finding  all  quiet  he  re- 
turned to  the  entrance  and  cried  out,  "  Say  !" 

"  Well,  what  is  it  ?"  said  I. 

"  They're  not  coming  yet." 

"  Yery  good  ;  and  what  of  that  ?" 

"  Oh,  nothing.     Say,  I  like  you." 

"  You  overpower  me,  sir,"  I    answered,  laughing. 

"  And  I  would  like  to  do  you  a  good  turn,"  he  con- 
tinued, 

"Nothing  easier,"  said  I,  while  a  sudden  ray  of 
hope  flashed  tlirougli  my  breast. 

"Oh,  I  can't  let  you  go,"  he  said,"  not  that;  but 
you  see  here,  will  you  tell  me  your  name?" 

"  Certainly,"  I  answered ;  and  having  complied  I 
begged  for  a  similar  consideration  from  himself. 

"  You  are  the  man  sure  enough,  then,"  he  said, 
"  and  as  to  my  name,  it's  *  Balaam,*  call  me  'Balaam  ;' 
everybody  knows  me  as  *  BaL.am,'  and  if  you  were  to 
ask  for  me  by  ray  other  name  my  best  friend  wouldn't 
know  who  you  meant,  see  ?" 

I  told  him  it  was  quite  plain  and  begged  that,  as  he 
had  aroused  my  curiosity  concerning  a  certain  service 
he  was  anxious  to  render  me  he  would  proceed. 

"It's  a  warning,"  said  he ;  "you  must  take  care." 

"  Take  care  ;  and  of  what  V 

"  Oh,  I  can't  tell  you  much  about  it,  but  look 
sharp,  you  have  enemies." 

"  One  of  whom  speaks  to  me  I  believe." 
"  Oh,  I  don't  mean  that — no.     There's  one,  a  sin- 
gle one,  worse  than  all  the  rest." 


54  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

I  knew  but  too  well  to  whom  he  alluded,  but  wish- 
ing to  hear  all  he  would  be  led  into  saying  I  assumed 
an  air  of  incredulity,  laughing  and  snapping  my  fin- 
gers at  him.  "  Nonsense,"  I  said ;  "  you  are  mis- 
taken." 

"I  swear  that  I  am  not,''  said  he,  with  a  sudden 
earnestness  of  manner ;  "  I  know  what  I  am  saying. 
If  you  value  your  life  keep  your  eyes  and  ears  con- 
stantly open,  especiai.lt  at  night." 

"  Enough  of  this,"  I  said;  "you  either  know  noth- 
ing of  what  you  are  speaking,  or  you  wish  to  make  a 
fool  of  me.  In  either  case  you  are  wasting  your 
breath." 

"  I  dare  not  tell  you  more,  sir,"  said  he  meekly. 

"  Then  you  know  no  more,  nor  will  I  listen  fur- 
ther to  your  stupid  twaddle.  In  short,  ray  friend,  I 
positively  refuse  to  play  the  part  of  '  BalaarrJs  ass.'  " 
A  low  laugh  escaped  him  at  this,  in  the  midst  of 
which  he  stopped  to  listen. 

"Hist!"  he  said,  after  a  pause,  "to  your  place, 
quick,  they  are  coming!"  and  immediately  he  with- 
drew. 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE  55 


CHAPTER  IX. 

It  all  happened  exactly  as  "Balaam"  had  predicted. 
The  officer  glanced  at  the  two  silent  figures  and  was 
satisfied.  Five  minutes  later  one  of  tliose  same  fig- 
ures had  disappeared,  and  the  other,  Ijing  with  his 
head  upon  a  certain  coat,  was  courting  sleepi — a, 
blessing  which  was  not  forthcoming.  Not  that  Mor- 
pheus had  forsaken  me,  for  already  was  he  leading 
me,  with  insinuating  smile  and  soft,  seductive  touch, 
to  his  pleasant  land  of  dreams  ;  and  the  regular  foot- 
falls of  my  guards  were  growing  less  and  less  distinct 
as  I  followed.  But  alas,  at  this  delicious  stage  of  my 
journey  I  was  rudely  and  cruelly  recalled  to  the 
sterner  realities  of  a  more  substantial  existence.  A 
horseman  dashed  at  full  speed  into  camp  and  drew 
rein  with  a  loud  ''  whoa  !''  In  a  moment  all  was 
confusion.  Excited  voices,  hurrying  footsteps  and 
the  sharp,  clear  notes  of  the  bugle  were  sounds  that 
almost  instantaneously  followed  the  advent  of  the 
courser.  I  listened  impatiently  for  some  chance 
word,  amid  all  that  deluge  of  articulation,  which 
might  explain  the  meaning  of  this  sudden  change 
from  the  calm  of  peaceful  slumber  to  the  bustle  of 
hasty  preparation,  nor  was  I  long  in  the  dark. 

"  Hallo,  pard  !"  said  one  of  my  guards  to  the  other, 
"  how  do  you  read  the  signs?" 

"Didn't  you  hear  the  bugle?"  said  the  other. 

"To  arms,  of  course;  but  why?" 

"Don't  know.     Here's    a    man   might  tell  us   now. 
This  way,  comrade  ;  what's  the  row  ?" 

"H— 11  to   play  !"    said  a  third  voice,  "John  Mor- 
gan's DOWN  UPON  us  !'' 


56  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

"Attention  !'  cried  an  oflacer  in  the  distance  ;  and 
imn^ediatelj  followed  another  bn^^le  blast. 

"He  is  coming  up  the  river,  eight  hundred  strong," 
continued  the  informant  outside  ;  another  courier  has 
just  arrived." 

"  The  devil !"  said  one  of  the  questioners,  with  a 
ring  of  alarm  in  his  voice. 

"  Not  the  devil,  comrade,  but  worse  !"  said  another. 

"And  are  we  to  run  or  fight?"' 

"  We  are  to  change  our  position,  man;  think  jou 
we  can  fight  Ledbetter  in  our  front  and  Morgan  in 
our  rear  at  one  and  the  same  time?'' 

A  company  of  troops  now  hastened  by  completely 
drowning  the  voices,  and  before  the  sound  of  their 
retreating  footsteps  had  died  away  my  tent  was  being 
"struck"  over  my  head,  and  at  the  same  iroment  I 
was  abruptly  ordered  to  get  out.  I  found  my  fellow- 
prisoners,  but  a  few  yards  away,  already  formed  by 
twos  and  ready  to  march,  being  surrounded  by  a 
small  escort,  the  latter  commanded  by  a  young  and 
exceedingly  handsome  officer. 

"Where  is  the  other  ?"  said  this  officer,  seeing  me 
come  out  alone. 

"Gone,"  said  I,  laconically. 

"Gone  ?  and  where  ?" 

"First  to  Chattanooga,  thence  to  Morgan,  to  whose 
command  he  belongs." 

"What — do  you  mean  he  has  escaped  ?'' 

"I  do." 

"When,  and  how  sir?" 

"You  must  really  excuse  me  if  I  do  not  answer 
your  questions,"  said  I,  smiling. 

"How  do  you  know  he  belonged  to  Morgan's  com- 
mand ?" 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  57 

"That  is  no  secret,  sir  : — did  jou  ever  hear  of  Slip« 
pery  Frank  ?'' 

The  officer  started. 

"McPhereon,  the  spy — was  it  he?" 

"McPherson,  the  scout,"  said  I,  "the  other  is  rather 
an  u^ly  name." 

"But  not  a  misnomer  in  this  instance,"  said  he,  and 
beckoning  to  an  Orderly,  he  spoke  to  him  in  a  low- 
voice. 

The  Orderly  saluted,  and  walked  rapidly  away,  and 
we  were  immediately  given  the  order  to  march. 
By  a  happy  chance  I  was  placed  next  to  "Barney," 
ray  Irish  friend,  :f  the  day  before,  who  greeted  me 
warmly,  and  aft.rward  lightened  many  a  weary  mile 
with  ins  inexhaustible  store  of  quaint  anecdote  and 
sparkling  mother  wit.  It  would  be  pleasant  to  record 
some  of  these,  if  only  for  the  sake  of  their  brighter 
coloring,  (an  ingredient  which  this  sombre-hued  pic- 
ture greatly  needs,)  but  this,  for  many  reasons,  must 
not  be.  Barney,  like  many  others  introduced  into 
this  truthful  history,  was  merely  a  chance  acquaint- 
ance, who  contributed  little  to  the  main  current  of  its 
events,  merely  a  land-mark  to  show  its  course ;  a 
beacon  to  light  me  through  the  dark  labyrinth  of 
clouded  memory.  As  such  [  recall  him,  and  as  such, 
whether  regretfully  or  otherwise,  I  must  also  leave 
him.  Nor  need  I  dwell  upon  the  details  of  that  long, 
weary  march.  I  soon  discovered  that  a  separate  guard 
had  been  placed  over  me,  an  honor  which  "Barney" 
declared  was  but  a  wrightful  homage  to  my  impor- 
tance. I  need  scarcely  say  that  1  considered  it,  but 
another  ominous  sign  of  that  mysterious  evil  which 
was  creeping  so  stealthily  upon  me.  We  heard  no 
more  of  Morgan.  I  have  reason  to  believe  that  the 
celebrated  Scout  was  never  within  a  hundred  miles  of 


58  SAVED    BY   A   WOMAN; 

US,  and  I  cannot  conceive  of  how  the  alarm,  which 
caused  our  flight,  was  originated.  A  forced  march  of 
three  days  brought  us  to  the  Federal  Garrison  at 
Shelbjville.  Here  we  were  driven,  like  so  many 
sheep,  into  a  deserted  commissary,  and  here  began 
two  weeks  o!:  abject  wretchedness,  merely  to  contem- 
plate which  fills  me  with  a  sickening  horror  to  this 
day.  We  found  the  floor,  the  walls,  the  boxes  (our 
only  furniture)  and  the  shelves,  all  filthy  with  a  u.ix- 
ture  of  grease,  molasses  and  flour.  There  was  no  es- 
caping from  it.  We  stood  in  it^  walked  in  it,  sat  in 
it.  We  laid  down  and  slept  in  it.  And  not  for  a 
single  night,  nor  yet  for  two,  but  for  two  long,  mis- 
erable weeks.  And  during  all  this  ime  the  heat  was 
intolerable.  Our  food  also  was  wretched,  consisting 
for  the  most  part  of  rancid  bacon,  and  half-done  corn 
cakes,  and  we  also  suffered  from  thirst,  and  from 
many  other  causes  too  numerous — manj'  of  them  too 
disgusting — to  mention.  Most  of  the  men  fell  sick. 
One  man  died  with  a  smile  upon  his  lips  and  we  en- 
vied him  ;  another  went  stark  mad,  and  was  turned 
out  to  wander,  no  one  knew  nor  cared  whither,  and 
we  almost  envied  him. 

What  a  place  to  read  men's  hearts  was  this,  where, 
tortured  hy  a  common  evil,  one  cursed  and  raved, 
while  another  stood  grim  and  silent  at  his  side.  Where 
another  wept,  and  another  moaned,  and  a  few  (al'S, 
how  few)  went  about  among  the  rest  vainly  endeav- 
oring to  administer  comfort  and  hope,  or  else  they 
knelt,  these  very  few,  and  prayed  aloud,  whilst — 
horrible  to  relate — curses  and  blasphemies  drowned 
the  voice  of  their  supplications. 

But  let  us  not  linger  here,  for  very  pity's  sake.  *  ^ 

At  the  end  of  two    weeks  sixty  spectres  tottered 

from  this  place  of  torment,  (it  was  originally  a  barn, 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  50 

and  belonged  to  a  Mrs.  Aiken,)  and  staggered  toward 
the  depot  to  be  tumbled  into  box-cars  and  carried 
whirling  away.  Most  of  my  companions  fell  asleep 
at  once,  but  having  noticed  that  my  ''evil  spirit,'^ 
Douglass,  was  one  of  the  guard  placed  over  as,  a 
feeling  of  unrest  took  possession  of  me  and  prevented 
me  from  following  their  example.  Why  his  presence 
should  thus  disturb  me  was  incomprehensible  at  the 
time,  inasmuch  as  I  had  often  seen  him  watching  me 
during  the  two  wretched  weeks  just  past,  and  never 
THEN  had  his  presence  caused  me  a  seconds  thought. 
Looking  back  upon  that  period,  however,  I  can  readily 
explain  now  what  seemed  inexplicable  then,  and 
I  go  about  it  thus  :  The  moment  that  I  escaped  from 
the  terrible  sufferings  of  the  past  fortnight,  to  breath 
the  unpolluted  air  and  feel  it  fan  my  fevered  cheeks 
in  its  rapid  circulation  through  the  train,  I  began  to 
grow  stronger  both  bodily  and  mentally.  Excess  of 
suffering  had  plunged  me  into  a  kind  of  lethargic 
stupor,  from  which  I  was  now  awakening,  and  with 
this  awakening  came  renewed  hope,  and  a  fresh  desire 
for  life.  These,  in  their  turn,  brought  with  them  the 
natural  instinct  of  self-preservation,  and  thus  it  was 
that  the  presence  of  Douglass  renc.ered  me  uneasy 
to-day,  whilst  yesterday  I  would  scarcely  have  noticed 
him."  Many  a  look  of  hatred,  many  a  smile  of 
triumph,  did  he  bestow  upon  me  as  we  flew  along  to- 
ward Nashville.  The  contemplation  of  my  wanted 
form  and  the  many  other  evidences  of  suffering  with 
which  I  was  plainly  marked,  seemed  to  afford  him 
umlimited  delight,  and  he  never  wearied  of  enjoying 
it.  I  began  really  to  hate  the  man  for  the  first  time. 
Before  this  I  had  looked  upon  him  rather  as  a  serpent 
in  my  path,  a  thing  to  be  avoided  for  the  present,  and 
destroyed,  if  chance  should  require  it,   in  the  future  ; 


60  SAVED   BY   A    WOMAN; 

but  now  my  fevered  imagination,  whether  justly  or 
the  reverse,  began  to  picture  him  as  the  direct  cause 
of  all  my  troubles ;  the  master-hand  which  directed 
every  adverse  blow  aimed  at  me  by  fortune,  and  be- 
fore our  journey  was  ended  I  hated  Douglass  in  dead 
earnest.  How  I  chafed  at  my  helpless  condition,  and 
how  I  longed  for  the  time  to  come  when  I  might  meet 
him  in  equal  combat. 

Whilst  these  bitter  thoughts  occupied  my  mind  we 
were  rushing  onward  toward  JSTashvilk',  whieh  city 
we  reached  early  in  the  afternoon. 

Arriving  at  the  depot  we  disembarked  and  were 
formed  into  line  facing  the  penitentiary  (which 
frowning  mass  of  brick  was  then  plainly  visible  from 
that  point)  and  the  order  was  given  for  all  command- 
ing officers  and  citizens  to  step  ten  paces  to  the  front. 
About  one-half  of  our  number  stepped  forward  obe- 
diently, leaving  me,  a  private  soldier  with  the  original 
line;  but  the  front  rank  had  scarcely  "'dressed,"  when 
an  officer  giving  me  a  sharp  "rap"  with  the  "flat''  of 
his  sabre,  ordered  me  to  join  them. 

"I  am  neither  an  officer  nor  a    citizen,  sir,"  said  I. 

"Nevertheless,  you  will  obey  my  orders,"  said  he. 

Still  I  hesitated,  looking  around  me  in  that  be- 
wilderment which  men  often  exhibit  when  at  a  loss 
for  a  reason,  and  in  this  brief  interval  my  eyes  fell 
upon  Douglass,  standing  at  a  little  distance  away. 
The  sight  of  his  sinister  countenance  fixed  steadily 
upon  me,  checked  what  further  remonstrance  I  might 
have  made,  and  stepping  boldly  forward  I  took  my 
place  in  front  without  further  hesitation.  The  two 
lines  thus  formed  were  now  marched  off  in  different 
directions,  the  private  soldiers  to  the  common  jail  and 
ourselves  to  the  penitentiary. 

"Good-bye,  yer  honor,"  shouted  a  strongly  accented 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  61 

voice  to  me,  as  the  two  lines  separated  ;  "may  the 
devil  take  your  inimy's,  sir  ;  bad  'cess  to  them." 

"Good-bye,  Barney,"  I  yelled,  in  defiance  of  all 
discipline,  and  being  immediately  ordered  to  "cease 
my  bawling,"  I  was  forced  to  content  myself  with  a 
leave  taking,  which  I  wished  with  all  my  heart  could 
have  been  warmer.  I  never  saw  Barney  again,  and 
only  heard  of  him  once  afterward  as  being  among  the 
few  who  refused  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance. 

"You  may  murther  me,  bad  luck  to  you,  but  yoi"* 
won't  make  me  swear  be  yonr  colors.'' 

This  is  what  he  told  them — at  least,  so  the  story 
went.     ^     *     "'^ 


CHAPTER  X. 

As  soon  as  we  were  well  within  the  high  wall  of 
brick  and  stone,  which  surrounded  the  penitentiary, 
the  order  was  given  us  to  break  ranks,  and  we  were 
allowed  to  wander  where  we  pleased,  a  leniency  on 
the  part  of  our  captors  which  both  surprised  and 
pleased  us.  In  fact  we  were  not  long  in  discovering  that 
an  air  of  loose  discipline  pervaded  the  entire  place, 
owing,  I  believe,  to  the  fact  that  many  were  there 
confined  for  the  reason  alone  of  having  refused  to 
take  the  oath  of  allegiance,  scarcely  an  offence  to  war- 
rant, harsh  or  rigorous  treatment. 

Many  of  these  also  were  men  of  wealth  and  high 
position,  and  of  almost  every  variety  of  profession. 
We  found  there  merchants,  lawyers,  physicians,  and 
ministers  of  the  gospel.  The  penitentiary  was  full  of 
them,  and  like  the  jury  who  finds  the  prisoner  guilty, 
yet  recommends  him  to  the  mercy  of  the  court  on 


62  SAVED   BY   A    WOMAN; 

cacoiint  of  his  "high  connections,"  the  stern  military 
law-makers  saw  their  decree  enforced  to  the  letter^ 
while  they  cared  not  for  it's  spirit.  And  thus  it 
came  about  that  while  we  were  kept  strictly  beneath 
the  shadow  of  the  frowning  edifice,  and  within  the 
walls  that  surrounded  it,  we  were  allowed  to  do  pretty 
much  a&  we  pleased.  We  roamed  about  the  grounds 
at  will,  and  amused  ourselves  in  many  ways.  We 
lived  in  a  separate  world  from  other  men,  and  in  a 
certain  sense  we  were  even  happy.  And  so  the  days 
rolled  by.  Every  evening  at  roll  call  we  assembled 
and  answered  to  our  names,  after  which  we  were 
ordered  into  the  main  building,  where  we  found  good 
beds,  and  clean  ;  an  unspeakable  blessing  of  itself. 
Our  food  was  good,  our  health  excellent,  and  our 
spirits  li2;ht  and  hopes  high  in  consequence.  Com- 
pared with  our  recent  place  of  confinement  at  Shelby- 
ville,  we  were  living  now  in  Paradise,  and  if  we 
thought  of  the  future  at  all  it  was  only  to  look  for- 
ward to  the  time  when  we  would  be  exchanged.  For 
my  own  part,  I  became  well  and  strong  at  ouce.  I 
met  some  old  acquaintances  of  my  father's,  among 
whom  was,  notably.  Dr.  Baldwin,  the  famous  Metho- 
dist divine,  whose  able  writings  on  Methodism  have 
been  read  far  and  wide.  This  amiable  gentleman, 
after  hearing  from  my  lips  the  story  of  my  capture  and 
subsequent  trials,  at  once  took  a  kindly  interest  in  me, 
and  afterward  proved  himself  a  true  friend.  Through 
him  I  was  introduced  to  many  ladies,  who  were 
allowed  at  stated  periods — between  the  hours  of  four 
and  six  p.  m. — to  visit  their  imprisoned  lords,  or  sons, 
or  friends,  as  the  case  might  be,  and  so  was  I  held  in 
opinion  above  my  companions. 

"You  are  now  acquainted,"  said  Dr.  Baldwin  a  day 
or  two  after  my  arrival,  "in  the   select  society  of  the 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  63 

jpemtentiary^  and  there  is  nothing  to  prevent  your 
being  quite  happy.  Come  let  me  show  you  a  thing 
or  two," 

And  he  did  show  me  a  thing  or  two.  He  led  me 
through  a  suite  of  rooms,  little  short  of  elegant  in 
their  appointments,  one  of  them  being  even  luxuri- 
ously furnished. 

"This,"  said  the  Doctor,  referring  to  the  latter,  "is 
where  we  receive  the  ladies,  and  there  on  that  piano 
they  play  and  sing  for  us  and  lighten  our  hearts,  God 
bless  them.  And  here,"  he  continued,  opening  a  door 
into  an  adjoining  room,  "is  what  we  call  their  'toilet 
chamber,'  look  at  it.  Nonsense,  you  tay,  not  even  a 
looking  glass  ?  But  hist ;  thereby  hangs  a  tale.  Come 
nearer,  and  I  will  tell  you.  Do  you  see  that  large 
table  and  those  chairs  ?  bare  enough  noio^  but  at  four 
o'clock,  and  from  that  until  six,  that  table  will  be 
.groaning  under  good  things.  Where  do  they  come 
from  ?  The  ladies,  sir  ;  how  do  they  get  them  here 
unperceived  ?  A  word  in  your  ear — hoojpskirts.  You 
laugh."     In  truth  I  did  laugh. 

"Listen,"  said  he  again,  after  my  burst  of  merri- 
ment ;  "there  is  a  laughable  feature  about  it,  but  only 
at  first  sight.  See  the  risk  they  run,  for  if  caught 
they  would  surely  be  made  to  suffer,  and  think  of 
how  they  fearlessly  lay  themselves  liable  to  the  taunts 
and  insults  of  the  base-minded,  to  evil-speaking  and 
slandering.  And  where  is  their  reward,  sir  ?  They 
have  none — none,  save  the  sweet  consciousness  of 
having  done  a  generous  action.  Yes,  they  come  every 
day.  There  is  a  regular  society,  organized  for  this 
and  similar  purposes,  and  they  send  a  committee 
every  day,  literally  laden  with  good  things." 

"But,  Doctor,"  I  asked,  "what  can  they  bring  in 
this — ah — extraordinary  manner  ?" 


64  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

"What  can  they  bring,  sir  ?-any thing.  A  whole  fowl, 
a  pie,  sweetmeats,  wine,  and  the  like.  Why,  my  dear 
sir,  yesterday  a  lady  actually  brought  a  ivhole  ham, 
ready  cooked,  concealed  beneath  her  skirts.*  It  was 
lirst  wrapped  in  paper,  then  done  up  in  a  pillow  case. 
You  can  readily  conceive  how  this  could  be  done  if 
you  but  remember  the  immense  size  of  the  hoops  now 
in  fashion,  and  do  you  know,  I  believe  this  lady  wore 
an  extra  large  one  on  purpose.  God  bless  her,  but 
she  could  scarcely  walk  up  the  steps.  Ah !  you 
should  see  with  what  eagerness  the  rough  fellows 
watch  for  their  coming,  and  you  should  hear  the  ring 
of  pleasure  in  their  voices'  as  they  whisper  to  each 
other,  '■yorider  connes  a  lioopHkirV  " 

"This  is  truly  wonderful,  Doctor  ;  but  the  ladies — 
are  they  never  caught?" 

"Trust  a  woman's  sagacity,  sir;  caught?  No, 
never.  They  come  first  to  the  sitt'ng-room,  after  ex- 
changing a  very  knowing  look  with  the  boys,  who  are 
waiting  outside  for  a  certain  signal.  Thence  they  go 
into  their 'toilet  room,'  where  they  unpack  and  load  the 
table  and  come  out  again  all  flushed  with  pride  and 
success.  After  this  they  begin  to  bang  the  piano,  a 
signal  well  understood,  and  the  boys  rush  in  and  fall 
to,  while  the  playing  and  singing  is  kept  up  to  drown 
the  noise  of  their  revelry.  My  experiences  since  this 
war  began,  sir,  have  taught  me,  among  many  other 
things,  that  wliile  there  are  only  a  moderate  number 
of  heroes  among  men,  there  are  among  women  only 
a  few  who  are  not  heroines.  Opportunity  is  all  that 
is  lacking  to  prove  the  truth  of  this  maxim.  I  know 
that  it  is  a  bold  one,  still,  I  believe  in  it ;  and  besides 
I  might  say,  what  care   I  for  the  frowns  of  men  so 

-A  fact. 


OR,   THE   HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  65 

long  as  woman  smiles.  Ah !  I  forget  many  things 
that  I  should  pray  for,  sir,  but  I  never  forget  to  say — 
God  bless  the  women." 

"You  interest  me  greatly.  Doctor,"  said  I ;  "there 
must  surely  be  a  wonderful  amount  of  ingenuity  at 
work  here." 

"So  there  is,  sir;  ingenuity  born  of  love  and  ^jatri- 
otism.  That  which  holds  no  obstacle  as  insurmount- 
able ;  no  peril  as  sufficient  to  stay  its  exercise.  Had 
men  composed  the  members  of  this  society,  it  would 
never  have  lived  to  half  its  age.  Of  course,  the  very 
fact  of  its  being  composed  solely  of  women  has  much 
to  flo  with  its  success;  for  who  ever  suspects  women  of 
intrigue  ?  No  one  in  this  country,  surely.  The  fact 
is,  my  young  friend,  that  men,  as  a  rule,  know  very 
little  about  women.  "Believe  me,  we  make 
very  great  fools  of  ourselves  when  we  say, 
'  a  poor,  weak  woman,'  if  we  mean  one  jot  more 
than  her  mere  hodily  weakness.  They  are 
shrawder  than  men,  and  they  never  forget  the  part 
they  are  playing.  They  are  always  curioup,  and  this 
same  spirit  of  investigation,  which  we  so  often  ridi- 
cule, enables  them  to  see,  and  remove  in  time  those 
tiny  obstacles,  which,  if  left  to  grow,  often  thwart 
our  best  laid  plans.  "But,''  said  the  doctor,  "this 
is  a  subject  upon  which  I  am  wont  to  grow 
enthusiastic,  and  I  must  check  myself  in  time. 
I  will  show  you  a  woman  this  very  even- 
ing, who  possesses  every  quality  I  have  enu- 
merated, and  many  others  besides,  which  you  will 
not  be  long  in  perceiving  for  yourself.  She  is  the 
head  and  front  of  this  charitable  society,  a  bright, 
intelligent,  noble  little  creature.  And — hist — 1  tell 
you  this  'sub-rosa' — she  is  a  northern  lady  born,  and 
is  supposed  to  be  a  'Yankee,'  in  the  literal  sense 
5 


66  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

of  the  word,  while  in  truth,  she  is  ardently  southern 
in  her  sympathies.  This  gives  her  an  immense  advan- 
tage in  serving  us,  but  it  also  keeps  her  in  constant 
peril.  Therefore,  beware  how  you  speak  to  her  in 
company  with  others.  This  is  her  regular  evening 
for  coming,  and  I  will  take  pleasure  in  introducing 
you." 

"  Thank  you  very  much  doctor,"  said  I,  "  I  will 
come  in  later  and  claim  the  fulfillment  of  your  prom- 
ise.    Meanwhile  I  will  visit  Dr.  Jones,  your  barber.'' 

"  Yes,''  said  the  doctor,  looking  at  my  three  weeks 
old  whiskers,  "  yes  it  would  improvQ  you.  You  will 
find  Jones  in  the  fifth  room  from  here,  left  hand, 
straight  ahead — good  evening." 

"  Good  evening,  sir."     •5«-     *     ^ 


CHAPTER  XL 

Following  the  doctor's  directions,  I  knocked  at  the 
fifth  door  on  the  left,  and  was  immediately  told  to 
"come  in."  Opening  the  door  for  this  purpose,  I 
was  surprised  to  find  that  I  had  intruded  upon  the 
privacy  of  a  gentleman,  who,  habited  in  gown  and 
slippers,  sat  reading  near  one  of  the  windows.  As 
this  was  evidently  7iot  a  barber's  shop,  and  the  gentle- 
man evidently  7iot  a  barber,  I  began  to  mutter  some 
excuses  for  having  intruded,  preparatory  to  beating  a 
retreat,  when  the  gentleman  astounded  me  by  burst- 
ing into  a  loud  peal  of  laughter,  during  which  he 
slapped  hiw  thighs,  and  elevated  his  legs  at  intervals, 
in  a  manner  quite  bewildering. 

"Pray,  sit  down,  Sanders,"  said  he — "  I — ha — ha — 
— ha — ha.     I  will  be  over  my  fit — ha — ha — ha." 


OR,   THE   HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  67 

Bein^  possessed  of  a  very  keen  sense  of  the  ridic- 
nlons,  I  began  to  laugh  also,  and  for  a  few  moments 
the  old  walls  rang  again,  witli  the  merry  strain. 

"  Sanders,''  said  the  gentleman  again,  after  he  had 
succeeded  in  gaining  a  partial  control  over  himself — 
"sit  down,  man — you  must  think  me  a  fool,  but  did 
you  ever — ha — ha — ha,  ever  read  the  '  Pick — ha — ha 
the  'Tick-wick  Pa — ,  Pick-wick  Papers?" 

Here  the  gentleman  folded  up  his  book,  raised  his 
spectacles  to  his  forehead,  and  looking  toward  me  for 
the  first  time,  rounded  off  his  enquiry  by  exclaiming, 
"the  devil.''  He  looked  at  me  steadily  for  a  few  sec- 
onds, while  his  features  began  to  twitch  again,  and  a 
comical  smile  to  play  over  them. 

''  You  must  really  excuse,''  he  began. 

"  It  is  I,  who  should,"  said  I,  and  having  got  so  far, 
we  both  burst  into  another  laugh,  which  delayed  ex- 
planations for  some  moments  longer. 

"I  took  you  for  my  friend,  Tom  Sanders,  sir,"  said 
the  gentleman,  gasping  for  breath,  after  his  last  exer- 
tion— "well,  this  is  a  lark." 

"  I  fancy  my  mistake  was  a  more  grievous  one  still 
sir,"  said  I,  "for  I  took  you  for  Dr.  J  one?,  the  barber." 

"You  have  made  no  mistake  at  all  then,''  said  he, 
"  for  I  am  Dr.  Jones.     Have  a  chair  sir." 

•'  But  you  cannot  be  Dr.  Jones,  the — .'' 

"  Oh,  I  see,"  said  he,  "  you  wish  to  be  shaved  ?" 

"Exactly,  sir,  and  if  I  have  blundered — ." 

"  But  you  have  not.     Sit  down  and  I  will  explain." 

Being  thus  pressed,  I  took  a  chair  opposite  the  jolly 
doctor,  and  composed  myself  to  listen,  while  he,  check- 
ing off  each  sentence  with  the  index  finger  of  hia 
right  hand  (as  the  pen)  upon  the  palm  of  his  left  hand 
(as  the  ledger),  and  with  a  degree  of  loquacity,  seldom 
if  ever  rivalled,  began,  continued,  and  ended  thus : 


QS  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

"Now,  sir,  you  are  a  stranger,  you  therefore  do  not 
know  me,  so  far  so  good.  Now,  I  am  Jones,  M.  D., 
outside  ;  that  is,  anywhere  else  bui  here  ;  Jones,  B.  D., 
inside^  or  liere  ;  you  follow  me  ?  M.  D., medical  doc- 
tor, B.  D.,  heard  doctor;  (my  own  invention,  and  not 
bad  I  think),  ha,  ha — do  you  see  ? — you  do? — good. 
You  wish  to  be  shaved — you  come  to  me  as  all  the  otiiers 
do — not  that  I  am  obliged  to  shave  you — no,  sir — but 
l>ecause  being  fond  of  surgery,  and  having  no  sub- 
jects to  work  upon,  I  take  to  the  razor.  There's 
amusement  in  it ;  there's  art  in  it.  You  scrape  as 
near  to  the  skin  a3  possible  without  cutting  the 
patient,  you  make  him  actually  wince,  sir, 
vfithout  drawing  blood.  My  dear  sir,  there  is  art  in 
it— as  I  told  my  friend  Sanders  only  yesterday.  We 
were  discussing  the  movements  at  Manassas — a  bloody 
affair  that,  sir,  I  was  on  the  spot,  the  arms  and  legs  I 
helped  to  take  off  on  that  day;  astonishing — aston- 
ishing. One  of  the  most  pathetic  sights  I  have  ever 
witnessed  occurred  on  that  day — the  case  of  a  young 
man — his  mother  lives  right  here  in  Nashville,  and 
has  two  beautiful  daughters,  lovely  girls;  the  eldest 
a  blonde,  no,  a  brunette,  and  the  el — I  mean  the 
youngest,  has  just  become  engaged  to  a  very  hand- 
gome  young  fellow—  an  officer.     Pdfrhaps  you  have 

met  him  Mr. What  did  you  say  your  name 

was?" 

I  mentioned  my  name  to  the  doctor,  and  v^entured 
to  hint  that  as  I  had  made  an  engagement  to  meet 
some  ladies,  lie  might  finish  his  very  interesting  nar- 
rative while  he  took  off  my  beard. 

"Certainly,"  said  the  doctor — "yes  that  was  it.  I 
never  could  remember  names,  sir — never.  Shave  you 
while  I  finish,  of  course,  sir — of  course  ;  may  I  trouble 
you  to  lather  your  face  at  the  basin  there ;  sorry  I 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN   ROMANCE  69 

have  no  brush;  while  I  get  my  razor  and  mbit  up. 
I  find  the  leg  of  a  boot  sir,  to  answer  in  lieu  of  a 
strap,  which  I  haven't  got ;  ah,  here  it  is,  not  very 
sharp  I  am  afraid,  but  I  will  try  to  make  it  answer." 

While  the  doctor,  whose  volubility  never  for  an  in- 
stant flagged, was  hurrying  nervously  to  and  fro, making 
preparations  for  his  task,  I  had  approached  the  basin 
and  wetting  the  soap  I  began  as  directed  to  lather  my 
face.  But  before  I  had  completed  this  preliminary 
operation,  a  thing  occurred  which  I  would  much  pre- 
fer to  leave  untold,  could  its  suppression  by  any  pos- 
sible means  be  made  consistent  with  the  strict  veracity 
of  this  history.  I  was  still  vigorously  rubbing  my 
bristly  chin,  when  happening  to  raise  my  head  a  little 
I  caught  a  glimpse  of  my  face  reflected  in  a  small 
fraction  of  a  mirror,  which,  from  its  diminutive  8ize,hud 
hitherto  escaped  my  notice.  This  piece  of  glass  had  no 
frame  around  it,  but  leaned  against  the  wall  with  its 
base  resting  upon  a  small  bracket,  and  was  almost 
entirely  concealed  from  view  by  a  brush  and  comb 
and  several  other  articles  of  the  toilet.  Now,  there 
is  nothing,  I  am  sure,  to  make  even  a  timid  child 
start  and  tremble  at  the  unexpected  apparition  of  his 
or  her  image  reflected  in  a  looking-glass ;  and  yet, 
however  inexplicable  it  may  seem,  certain  it  is,  that 
I,  a  grown  man,  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  health,  and 
not  given  to  timidity  or  excessive  nervousness,  did 
start  and  tremble  at  thus  suddenly  beholding  my  own 
image.  I  did  more.  I  staggered  back  and  uttered 
an  exclamation  of  fear,  if  not  of  actual  terror ;  for 
although  I  saw  the  glass,  and  fully  knew  that  the 
reflection  could  have  been  none  other  than  my  own, 
yet  the  face  that  I  saw,  and  still  seemed  to  see^  was  not 
my  own,  hut  that  of  my  dead  mother.  Call  it  what  you 
will;  the  hallucination  of  a  brain  diseased    by  recent 


70  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

suffering,  the  wild  fancy  of  a  nature  naturally  super- 
stitious, but  peculiarly  so  at  this  time  for  similar  rea- 
sons ;  advance  an  hundred  theories  as  explanatory  of 
this  extraordinary  effect  produced  by  so  common- 
place a  cause ;  but  ask  m.e  not  to  select  from  their 
number  the  right  one.  I  could  by  no  means  rid  my- 
self of  the  nervous  ague  which  seized  me.  1  laughed 
at  a  weakness  I  could  not  cuncoal.  I  stammered  forth 
various  explanations  and  excuses  to  Dr.  Jones,  who 
stood  watching  me  in  open-mouthed  wonder ;  yet  in 
my  heart  of  hearts  I  could  ascribe  my  strange  emo- 
tion to  no  earthly  source.  .There  was  one  desire 
uppermost  in  my  mind,  which  had  sprung  into  life 
simultaneously  with  and  as  a  part  of  mj^  indescribable 
malady,  and  this  was  a  desire  to  leave  the  room  as 
quickly  as  possible.  It  was  with  much  haste  and  very 
little  ceremony,  therefore,  that  I  washed  my  soap- 
besmeared  face,  and  scarcely  waiting  to  dry  it,  hur- 
ried away,  leaving  Dr.  Jones  staring  after  mo  with 
such  a  look  as  he  might  have  bestowed  upon  the  re- 
treating form  of  a  madman. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Actuated  b}'  a  desire  to  be  alone,  I  bent  my  steps 
toward  my  own  room,  or  more  properly  toward  the 
diminutive  apartment  whose  comforts  1  shared  with 
two  others.  Here  I  v\-as  disappointed  to  find  one  of 
my  room-mates,  who  for  want  of  better  occupation, 
was  stretched  upon  his  bed  indulging  in  a  day  dream. 
This  gentleman,  whose  name  was  Putnam,  was  six 
feet  three,  and  a  very  giant  in  strength.  He  had  also 
a  heart  of  proportionate  size  to  his  frame,  as  I  had 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  71 

already  begun  to  conjecture,  ana  of  the  truth  of  which 
subsequent  events  gave  infallible  proof. 

"Hello,"  said  he,  regarding  me  through  his  half 
closed  lids  ;  "is  that  you  V 

It  was  too  late  to  retreat,  and  in  order  the  better  to 
conceal  my  agitation  I  made  him  some  light  rejoinder 
and  flung  myself  upon  my  own  bed,  with  my  face  to 
the  wall. 

"Do  you  intend  to  sleep?"  asked  Putnam,  "or  are 
you  about  to  indulge  in  aerial  architecture?  If  the 
latter,  let  us  work  together.  Come,  I  had  just  com- 
pleted a  most  extravagantly  beautiful  country  resi- 
dence, away  from  wars  and  rumors  of  wars;  but, 
pooh,  I  blow  it  away  and  commence  anew.  First  I 
lay  the  sills  of — " 

"Air,"  said  I,  with  a  feeble  attempt  to  catch  his 
humor. 

"Of  air;  but  of  cool,  delightful  air;  not  hot,  suf- 
focating air  like  this ;  and,  go  ahead,  your  turn  comes." 

"  What  comes  next?"     I  asked. 

"What  comes  next?  Why  the — let  me  see  ;  well, 
I  don't  know,  confound  me  if  1  do.  We  will  call  the 
house  finished,  and  proceed  to  furnish  it — Proceed  to 
furnish  it?" 

"  It  must  be  shell-proof,"  I  suggested. 

"  And  proof  against  heat,"  said  he  ;  "very  good,  go 
on." 

"  The  walls  of  gold,  diamond  chandeliers  pendent 
from  the  ceilings,  handsome  mirrors,  in  frames  of 
gold." 

"  Yes,  and  Brussels  carpets  a  foot  deep — every  bit 
of  a  foot  deep,  and  curtains  of  rich — of  rich  what  ?" 

"  Gold  cloth  ;  we  will  say,  gold  cloth  and  lace." 

"Fringed,  you  know  ;  they  must  be  fringed  with — ." 

"  Strings  of  pearls,  perhaps." 


72  SAVED   BY   A-  WOMAN; 

*'  Good ;  excellent,  and  there  must  be  sofas,  soft 
sofas,"  said  he,  striking  with  his  fist  the  mattress  of 
shucks  upon  which  he  was  lying. 

"Aye,   very  soft,  and — let  me  see ;  what  else  ?" 

"We  will  sum  up  the  rest,  and  say  every  luxury  and 
every  comfort  that  heart  could  desire." 

"  Good  ;  and  now  our  aerial  castle  becomes  ethereal ; 
let  us  begin  to  people  it." 

"  A  wife,"  said  Futnam. 

"  Two,"  said  I. 

"The  devil,"  said  he. 

"  I  mean,  one  apiece." 

"  Oh ;  that  is  a  gray  horse  of  another  color;  but 
where  are  our  cattle,  man  ?     We  must  have  horses." 

"  Certainly,  and  therefore  erables." 

"  With  separate  stalls;  at  least  two  separate  stallsy 
for  the  asses^'  said  a  voice  at  the  door ;  and  looking 
up  we  beheld  Brown,  our  room-mate,  who  had  stolen 
upon  us  unperceived. 

"  Well,  for  two  grown  men,"  continued  Brown, 
after  we  had  laughed  heartily — "  for  two  grown  men  : 
— well,  I  never." 

"  Humph,''  ejaculated  Putnam,  assuming  at  a  single 
bound  the  air  of  a  philosopher — "you  know  not  at 
what  you  scoff,  man.  For  my  own  part,  I  am  thank- 
ful for  the  ingredient ;  whatever  you  may  call  it, 
which  enables  us  to  deceive  ourselves,  so  long  as  that 
deception  is  pleasing.  Nor  are  tliey  necessarily  fools, 
or  "  asses  ''  either,  who  indulge  this  fancy.  Why 
should  they  be  ;  there  can  be  no  harm  in  it ;  and  do 
we  not,  by  building  up  an  imaginary  world  around 
us,  live  for  the  moment  in  that^  while  we  lose  sight  of 
this^  with  its  harassing  cares  and  trials  ?  Thus,  we  not 
only  give  ourselves  a  sinless  pleasure  (which  is  quite 


OR,   THE   HIDD£!N   ROMANCE.  75 

a  rare  thing,  by  the  way)  but  we  rest  our  faculties  at 
the  same  time.  I  tell  yon,  Brown,  such  exercise  is 
quite  as  harmless,  and  to  the  full  as  refreshing,  as  a 
pleasant  dream," 

"Give  me  the  sleep,''  said  Brown  ;    "fools,  idiots."' 

"  Oh,  very  well."  said  Putnam,  shrugging  his  shoul- 
ders, "nevertheless  everybody — ." 

"  Everybody  is  an  ass  then,"  sneered  Brown. 

Before  Putnam,  whom  the  other's  '  crustiness  '  had 
somewhat  nettled,  could  make  a  reply,  there  came 
to  our  ears,  the  soft,  mellow  notes  of  a  distant  piano, 
at  the  first  sound  of  which.  Brown  bounded  to  the 
glass,  adjusted  his  cravat,  put  a  few  touches  to  his 
hair  and  whisker^,  took  his  hat  under  his  arm  and 
hurried  away  without  a  word. 

"  Always  hungry,"  said  Putnam,  looking  at  me 
with  a  smile — "  always  hungry  and  crabbed.  He  will 
be  the  first  there,  I  warrant." 

"  And  I  must  not  be  far  behind  him,"  said  I  rising, 
"for  I  have  an  engagement  to  meet  Mrs.  Nickolson.'^ 

"  She  is  there,"  said  Putnam.  "Listen,  that  is  her 
voice,  I  know  it  well.  She  would  sing  Dixie  if  she 
dared,"  continued  he  after  a  pause,  "  but  no,  it  is 
'Home,  sweet  home' — ah,  me — ah,  me." 

These  last  monosyllables,  uttered  in  a  tone  so  full 
of  sadness,  opened  before  me,  in  an  instant  a  volume 
of  serious  reflection  ;  and  as,  guided  by  the  music,  I 
took  my  way  along  the  cold,  damp  passage,  my  mood 
was  by  no  means  suited  to  the  gaieties  of  the  draw- 
ing-room. 

It  fs  a  good  and  a  beautiful  tling  in  our  nature^ 
that  oftimes,  when  separated  from  home,  and  the 
countless  influences  for  good,  which  continually  sur- 
round us  there,  a  single  word,  a  note  of  music,  a  scene, 
the  song  of  a  bird,  or  the  odor  of  a  flower,  will  cause 


74  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

a  host  of  sweet  remembrances  to  rush  upon  us,  filling 
us  for  the  moment  with  a  tranquil  though  regretful 
happiness,  and  softening  us  into  better  and  purer  be- 
ings. And  the  greater  the  doubt  of  our  ever  renewing 
those  dearest  of  all  earthly  ties,  as  in  times  of  war, 
the  oftener  and  the  more  easily  are  we  moved  to  con- 
template them.  How  very  thankful  we  should  be, 
that  we  are  one  and  all,  susceptible  to  such  influences, 
especially  when  we  reflect  that  at  such  moments,  and 
only  at  such,  the  good  angel  may  hover  quite  near  us, 
without  fear  of  the  evil  contaci.  Occupied  with  such 
thoughts  and  not  willing  to  l)anish  them,  yet  equally 
unwilling  to  give  way  to  the  emot'o  is  which  they  awa- 
kened, I  hesitated  at  the  door  before  opening  it  to 
pass  in,  and  it  was  at  this  moment  that  a  rough  hand 
was  laid  upon  ray  shoulder.  A  sudden  chill  flashed 
through  me  like  an  electric  shock,  and  even  before  I 
could  turn  to  look  upon  him  1  had  felt  his  presence, 
and  knew  that  Douglass  was  beside  me.  Returning 
the  malignant  leer  with  which  he  regarded  me,  with 
as  much  hauteur  and  contempt  as  I  could  concentrate 
into  my  gaze,  I  drew  myself  proudly  up,  and  folding 
my  arms  across  my  chesl,  waited  for  him  to  speak. 

"  Oh,  you  need  not  put  on  airs,  my  young  cock- 
sparrow,''  said  he,  ''your  comb  will  soon  be  cut.  Ha, 
ha,  ha,  only  a  day  or  two  ;  only  a  few  hours  longer, 
and  then — vengeance  ;  sweet,  sweet  vengeance." 

He  stopped,  while  he  shook  with  suppressed  rage, 
and  a  half  smothered  cry  of  exultation  escaped  from 
between  his  firm  set  teeth  ;  a  cry  like  the  laugh  of  a 
fiend. 

"Why  don't  you  EpeakT'  said  he  again — "why 
don't  you  beg  for  mercy — ha,  ha,  ha,  for  mercy.  Oh, 
hate,  iiate,  and  sweet  vengeance.     I  could  take  it  now 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  75 

The  rope,  nothing  but  the  rope  for  yon.  Where  will 
be  your  pride  then,  eh,  eh?  Oh,  curse  you,  curse 
you.  You  have  thwarted  me  at  every  turn  ;  you  have 
heaped  upon  me  disgrace  and  humiliation  ;.  but  2/^-?^ 
know  what  you  have  done,  during  all  this  long  time 
since  we  first  met.  No  need  to  remind  yott  of  it  all ; 
curse  you  ;  oh,  curse  you.  Liar,  thief,  slanderer,  your 
time  has  come." 

The  man  by  this  time  had  worked  himself  into  a 
perfect  frenzy  of  passion.  His  bosom  heaved,  his 
eyes  seemed  about  to  burst  from  their  sockets,  his  lips 
were  bloodlessly  white,  and  he  trembled  in  every 
limb.  Up  to  this  time  I  had  said  not  a  word,  having 
maintained  throughout  this  bitter  tirade,  the  exact 
position  I  had  assumed  upon  first  beholding  him  ; 
and  tlie  longer  I  kept  silent  the  stronger  grew  my 
determination  to  remain  eo.  For  more  than  one  rea- 
son this  seemed  my  wisest,  if  not  my  most  satisfac- 
tory course.  If  1  opened  my  lips  I  would  lose  my 
self-control  and  strike  him.  This  done,  I  would  be 
thrust  into  a  cell  and  loaded  with  irons,  a  result 
which,  in  all  probability,  Douglass  was  then  working 
to  bring  about.  This  consideration  alone  would  have 
outweighed  any  desire  I  might  have  felt  for  punish- 
ing the  man,  but  as  he  proceeded,  a  new  and  equally 
powerful  motive,  added  as  it  were,  the  seal  to  my 
lips. 

"Give  you  rope  enough  and  you  will  hang  your- 
self," I  whispered  in  thought ;  "and  not  only  may  I 
hope  that  yo-;  will  reveal  your  plans  of  vengeance 
and  thus  forearm  me,  but  that  you  will  utter  words 
which  will  throw  some  light  upon  the  true  source  of 
the  hell-born  hatred  you  loear  me." 

"You  thought  you  were  rid  of  me,"  continued 
Douglass,  who  had  only  stopped  to  catch   his  breath. 


76  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

"You  thought  you  were  rid  of  me,  now  didn't  you? 
Why  don't  you  speak,  I  say?  Are  you  not  going  to 
beg  for  your  life?  Do  you  know  you  are  about  to 
die? — dog — hound — speak,  I  say.  Oh,  you  don't  be- 
lieve it ;  you  defy  me;  you  ain't  afraid;  very  well, 
but  when  you  are  dead — dead  and  buried ;  ha,  ha,  ha, 
how  then ;  lolio  will  protect  her  then  f  Ha,  you 
start ;  you  grow  pale  ;  no  you  donH  start ;  you  donH 
grow  pale — oh,  damn  you  ,  damn  you.  Who  will 
shield  her  from  my  vengeance  then  f  I  say  ;  you  know 
what  that  vengeance  will  be.  Tou  Hole  her  froin 
me,  did  you  ? — you — slandered  me  did  you  ?  you  lied 
on  me — you — but  never  mind — your  time  has  come, 
and  Z  will  have  her  ;  yes  / — /." 

Still  I  kept  silent,  not  however  without  a  powerful 
effort.  Insult  heaped  upon  insult  made  my  blood 
boil,  and  I  longed  to  strike  him  to  my  feet,  but  I 
would  not.  There  was  that  in  his  speech  too,  (it  will 
tax  nobody's  sagacity  to  comprehend  what,)  which 
made  me  think  of  other  matters  than  his  bitter  words, 
and  perhaps  this  to  some  degree  dulled  their  poign- 
ancy. 

"Nothing  will  move  you  then,"  continued  Doug- 
lass, "will  a  knife  in  your  he.irt  move  you  ?  Will  a 
rope  round  your  neck  move  you  ? — we  shall  see — we 
shall  see.  And  when  you  are  dead — dead  I  say — she 
shall  pay — ." 

Here  the  music,  which  had  hitherto  drowned  his 
voice,  abruptly  ceased,  and  Douglass  hearing  foot- 
steps apparently  approaching  the  door,  slunk  away 
into  a  side  passage ;  his  last  act  being  to  shake  his  fist 
and  spit  at  me.  For  a  moment  I  stood  quivering 
with  passion,  inwardly  cursing  the  fate  that  had  ren- 
dered my  passive  behavior  necessary  ;  but  by  decrees 
anger  gave  place  to  prudence,  (we  seldom  possess  the 


77 

two  at  one  and  the  same  time,)  and  I  be^an  to  feel 
more  eatisfied  with  my  course.  "lie  shall  pay  dearly 
for  this  at  another  time,  I  muttered,  but  for  the 
present  I  have  acted  wisely.  1  have  not  only  served 
myself  well,  but  I  have  defeated  any  plan  he  miojht 
have  laid  to  get  nie  into  immediate  trouble.  And 
again — -his  mysterious  words.  It  is  not  then  solely 
my  action  on  the  day  of  my  capture,  which  has  created 
the  remorseless  hatred  he  bears  me.  Can  I  have 
crossed  him  in  some  other  way  without  knowing  it, 
or  can  he  be  mistaking  me  for  another?" 

Having  taken  a  turn  in  the  passage,  and  having 
stumbled  upon  no  answer  to  these  puzzling  questions, 
I  suddenly  remembered  my  engagement,  and  shaking 
off  as  nearly  as  I  could,  all  thought  of  Douglass,  and 
of  the  myriad  evils  in  the  shape  of  mocking  devils, 
which  danced  around  his  very  name,  I  assumed  an  air 
of  unconcern  and  entered  the  reception  room. 


CHAPTER  Xni. 

Dr.  Baldwin  met  and  introduced  me. 

"Ah,  my  young  friend,"  said  he,  extending  his 
hand ;  "come  in.  1  have  been  expecting  you  for 
some  time.  You  are  much  improved  since  you — but 
you  have  72<9^  shaved,  eh ?  What,  Jones  out?  Why 
that  is  strange,  for  he  is  something  of  a  hermit  gen- 
erally. ■  But  come,  we  will  go  the  rounds.  First, 
here  is  the  judge — Judge  Marchbanks,  (his  father 
a  particular  friend  of  mine.  Judge,)  and  next.  Miss 
Fitzsimmons,  and  Miss  Callahan,  Mrs.  Kent,  Mr. 
Horlbeck ;  but  you  know  most  of  the  gentlemen,  and 
here,  last  but  not  least  (except  in  size)  is  the  lady  of 


78  SAVED   BY   A    ^YOMAN  ; 

whom  I  spoke  to  you  this  morning,  Mrs.  Nickolson  ; 
(a  particular  young  friend  of  mine,  ma'am)," 

I  had  already  heard  enough  of  this  lady  to  feel 
more  than  a  passing  interest  in  her,  and  I  now  beheld 
her  with  something  of  curiosity. 

I  noted  at  a  glance,  first,  that  she  was  rather  below 
the  middle  height  of  woman,  but  symmetrical  in 
ligure ;  and  secondly,  that  she  was  rather  plainly 
though  neatly  dressed  in  black,  and  that  her  com- 
plexion was  exquisitely  clear,  almost  transparent. 
Her  manner  of  receiving  me  was  hearty  and  unaffect- 
ed in  the  extreme,  and  she  wore  a  smile  b.o  sweet  and 
winning  as  to  captivate  me  at  once.  .  There  was  that 
in  her  smile  too,  which  seemed  to  give  emphasis  to 
her  unaesumed  cordiality ;  as  if  its  brightness  lit  the 
way  to  her  heart,  that  I  might  read  there  the  truth  of 
what  she  uttered. 

Though  by  no  mear>s  a  homely,  she  was  equally  far 
from  being  a  beautiful  woman.  Her  features  were 
clearly  defined  and  regular,  but  too  prominent  for 
feminine  beauty.  Her  eyes  were  dark,  expressive 
and  penetrating;  her  lips  thin  and  firm  set,  denoting 
determination,  and  her  forehead  high  and  very  promi- 
nent. Her  chief  charm  lay  in  her  manner.  Apart 
from  a  soft  sweet  voice,  a  distinctness  of  utterance, 
(always  pleasing)  and  a  wholly  unstudied  expression, 
(too  carefully  selected  speech  often  falls  with  a  chill- 
ing effect  upon  the  listener,  renders  him  ill  at  ease 
and  makes  him  wonder  how  mucli  of  it  is  really  meant,) 
apart  from  all  these  and  many  minor  charms,  for 
which  there  is  no  name,  unless  the  word  "feminine" 
embodies  them  all,  there  was  a  subtle  attraction 
about  this  lady  not  easily  described.  A  "something" 
in  the  atmosphere  which  surrounded  her  which  lulled 
the  senses  and  filled  one  with  a  feeling  of  quiet  enjoy- 


OR,   THE   HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  79 

meut.  A  kind  of  mesmerism,  so  to  speak;  as  if 
something  of  her  own  peace  and  purity  of  heart 
communicated  itself  to  those  around  her.  "Whatever 
this  nameless  attraction  was,  (and  I  would  like  to  call 
it  the  delightful  essence  of  her  own  chastity  and 
goodness,)  it  held  as  in  a  spell  all  who  came  near  her. 
No  one  approached  her  but  with  a  sensation  of  grow- 
ing pleasure,  which  only  reached  its  climax  at  the 
thrilling  touch  of  her  extended  hand  ;  no  one  left  her 
but  with  lingering  step. 

''I  feel  as  if  1  know  you  already,"  said  she  :  "Dr. 
Baldwin  has  spoken  of  you  so  often  and  with  so  much 
kindness.  Take  a  seat  and  tell  rae  something  of 
yourself,  you  do  look  as  if  you  had  suffered ;  but  wha 
has  not?  Ah  me,  how  I  wish  this  cruel  war  was 
over." 

I  sat  down  beside  her  as  she  bade  me,  and  for  a  full 
hour  I  resigned  myself  wholly  to  the  enjoyment  of 
her  society.  She  monopolized  the  conversation,  nor 
did  I  once  feel  the  remotest  desire  to  "edge  in  a 
word."  Even  to  this  day,  as  I  glance  backward  upon 
the  picture  of  my  chequered  life,  I  recognize  this, 
my  first  hour  with  Mrs.  Nickolson,  as  among  the 
brightest  spots  upon  it,  which  shine  forth  here  and 
there  to  mark  the  moments  of  pleasure  ;  like  stars 
through  a  storm-cloud.  Her  conversation  led  me 
away  from  every  distressing  topic.  If  she  spoke  of 
the  war  at  all  it  was  only  to  recount  some  recent  victory 
for  the  Confederate  arms,  of  which  I  had  heard 
nothing.  At  such  moments  her  eyes  fairly  sparkled, 
her  bosom  heaved  and  her  cheeks  flushed,  while  she 
poured  forth  her  triumphant  story  in  one  unbroken 
stream  of  simple  yet  touching  eloquence.  Eloquence 
not  of  the  lips,  but  that  which  is  far  more  beautiful 
— of  the  heart. 


80  SAVED    BY   A   WOMAN; 

I  listened  spell-bound.  I  became  filled  with  a  far 
greater  devotion  for  my  country  and  her  glorious  cause 
than  I  had  ever  felt  before,  and  my  inactivity  began  to 
weigh  upon  me  with  new  and  painful  acuteness.  Mental- 
ly, I  registered  a  vow  to  escape  at  once,  and  once  free,  to 
wash  out  in  the  blood  of  our  common  enemy,  the — 
what  1  now  deemed — positive  disgrace  of  having  thus 
far  quietly  submitted  to  captivity.  These  resolutions 
were  formed  while  Mrs,  ISTickolson — having  for  a 
moment  turned  to  the  piano — was  running  her  fin- 
gers idly  over  the  keys,  as  a  signal  to  the  revellers  in. 
the  adjoining  room  to  cease  their  noisy  clamor.  This 
signal  she  often  found  it  necessary  to  repeat,  and  it 
never  failed  to  have  the  desired  effect.  Even  in  the 
midst  of  a  boisterous  fit  of  laughter,  the  very  first 
note  of  the  piano  would  produce  an  instantaneous 
silence ;  cutting  short  the  mirth  in  a  ludicrous  man- 
ner. Having  established  silence,  she  again  turned  to 
me  and  laughingly  said  : 

"They  are  a  parcel  of  boys,  sir ;  every  one  of  them. 
Afraid  of  me  too — of  poor  little  me  ^  well,  I  neverP 

I  did  not  join  in  the  low,  silvery  laugh  which 
escaped  her  after  saying  this,  but  scarcely  waiting  for 
it  to  cease  1  said  abruptly  : 

"Mrs.  Nickolson,  1  must  escape." 

"Ah,"  she  said,  not  so  much  as  changing  her  ex- 
pression ;  "I  saw  it,  you  know.  There  was  a  new 
light  in  your  eye  when  I  turned  from  the  piano, 
which  I  construed  into  something  of  the  sort. 
Escape? — why  surely  you  must." 

"But  how,  madam,"  said  I,  "how  is  the  question?" 

"Mind,"  said  she,  placing  a  finger  upon  her  lip  to 
enjoin  silence,  "you  must  be  careful.  And  you  really 
mean  to  escape,  do  you  ?" 

"1  do,  madam,  if  such  a  thing  is  possible.     I  have 


OR,   THE   HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  81 

too  long  remained  in  careless  submission  to  this  bond- 
age, forgetting  all  the  while  that  my  country  neede^l 
even  my  weak  arm.  But  I  am  no  longer  forgetful 
of  my  duty.  Your  words  have  opened  my  slothful 
eyes  and  awakened  within  me  a  new  energy.  I  must 
escape,  and  at  once ;  but  again  recurs  the  puzzling 
question — how?" 

She  remained  in  deep  thought  for  some  moments, 
with  her  eyes  fixed  upon  the  carpet  at  her  feet.  At 
length,  raising  them  to  mine,  she  said  slowly : 

"It  cannot  be  done  just  yet,  and  you  must  abandon 
the  idea,  at  least  for  the  present.  There  are  others 
besides  yourself  to  be  considered,  who  have  been 
longer  in  captivity,  much  longer  than  you  have  been, 
and  you  must  be  content  to  await  j'our  turn.  "Xour 
own  efforts  would  avail  you  nothing,  be  they  never  so 
bold  and  daring.  Stratagem  alone  can  succeed,  and 
you  cannot  even  exercise  that  to  any  fruitful  end 
without  the  co-operation  of  a  friend.  No,  you  must 
be  patient  and  leave  it  all  to  me.  Yoa  look  sur- 
prised." 

"Leave  it  to  you^  madam  ?     I  scarcely  understand." 

"Not  understand?  You  have  not  thought.  Do 
you  not  know  that  for  the  sake  of  the  cause  I  love, 
and  for  those  who  uphold  its  principles,  I  have  con- 
sented  to  live  a  perpetual  lief — to  spy  upon  and 
heir  ay  those  who  believe  me  true  to  them,  whose 
hospitality  I  share,  and  who  represent  the  very  land 
of  my  birth?" 

(Here  her  eyes  filled  and  her  voice  became  tremu- 
lous.) 

"Do  you  not  know,"  she  continued,  "that  for  the  sake 
of  those  principles  I  have  recklessly  hazarded  every 
tie  that  binds  me  to  life?  The  love  of  friends,  of 
kindred,  wealth,  position — everything  is  held  as  noth- 


82  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAX ; 

ing  by  all  who  think  as  I  think  ;  who  love  as  I  love. 
Knowing  then  what  I  am,  you  can  easily  conceive  the 
immeasurable  advantages  my  position  affords  me. 
Nay,  this  knowledge  might  teach  you  more.  It  might 
enable  you  to  guess  (knowing  the  depth  of  my  love 
for  you  and  your  cause)  to  what  desperate  lengths  I 
would  go  to  serve  you  ;  and  it  might  teach  you  also, 
(knowing  the  energy  and  ambition  which  such  love 
begets)  how  well  I  have  employed  my  time  in  shaping 
these  advantages  to  serve  you.  How  can  you  feel  sur- 
prise then,  when  I  say  leave  it  to  rae?  Think  you  I 
cannot,  or  will  not  serve  you  ?  Why,  I  tell  yon,  boy," 
said  she,  brightening  up  and  bustlihg  hurriedly  to- 
ward the  piano,  "I  have  already  'done  the  State  some 
service.'  There  is  a  little  memorandum  here  in  my 
pocket-book  '^'\i\i  jifty-four  names  upon  it;  the  names 
of  your  brothers  in  arms  wliom,  during  the  past  year, 
I  have  helped  to  escape  from  captivity. 

"  It  is  a  fact,''  said  she,  pausing  with  her  hands  sus- 
pended above  the  keys,  "it  is  a  fact,  and  whenever 
my  life  of  duplicity  weighs  heavily  upon  me,  my  life 
of  deoeit  and  falsehood,  of  heartless  treachery  and 
calGiilating  haseness — '' 

"Hold,  my  dear  madam,"  said  I,  "you  are  doing 
youreelf  a  vast  injustice — '' 

"  God  knows,  I  hope  so,''  said  she,  brushing  away 
the  tears  which  had  again  filled  her  eyes.  "I  hope  so, 
and  I  always  bring  myself  to  believe  so,  if  I  but  read 
over  these  names,  each  one  of  which  recalls  in  regu- 
lar routine  some  touching  story  and  its  joyful  sequel. 
And  when  I  reflect  that  were  my  actions  wholly  wrong 
such  universal  success  could  never  attend  them,  I  am 
comforted.  'God  smiles  upon  and  furthers  my  feeble 
efforts,'  I  softly  think,  and  every  feeling  of  doubt 
vanishes  at  once." 


OR,   THE   HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  83 

Her  fingers  descended  upon  the  keys  as  she  conclu- 
ded, and  a  moment  later  she  was  singing  as  if  the 
slightest  care  were  stranger  to  her  breast.  I  will  not 
attempt  to  de-^cribe  the  emotions  which  tilled  me  after 
listening  to  these  frank  avowals.  Let  it  suffice  to  say 
that  mj  admiration  for  this  character,  every  beautiful 
trait  of  which  stood  self-revealed,  amounted  to  some- 
thiLg  akin  to  adoration.  The  blending  of  so  much 
that  was  heroic,  yet  gentle  ;  energetic,  yet  prudent ; 
firm,  yet  tender  and  sympathizing;  a  mind  and  a 
heart  so  wholly  generous  and  self-sacrificing,  I  am  free 
to  confess  I  had  never  met  with  before  ;  and  I  now 
contemplated  them  with  something  of  awe.  Nor  can 
I  think  this  estimate  of  her  overdrawn.  It  is  possible, 
that  if  called  upon  then,  instead  of  now,  to  express 
my  opinion  of  her,  I  would  have  hesitated  ere  I  gave 
full  warmth  to  my  admiration  ;  but  as  subsequent 
events  only  confirmed  my  first  impressions,  I  would 
be  doing  both  her,  and  myself  an  injustice,  were  I  at 
this  time,  one  iota  less  devout  of  my  theme.  But  I 
neither  ask  nor  desire  yoii,  my  worthy  reader  to  indorse 
what  may  seem  unto  you  an  extravagance.  I  am  re- 
cording facts,  you  know,  of  which  mj-  feelings  and 
impressions  are  part  and  parcel,  and  if  these  fail  to 
please,  I  must  submit  to,  how^ever  much  I  lament, 
your  displeasure.  In  no  wise  can  I  hope  to  afford  you 
any  great  amount  of  amusement.  If  I  but  help  you 
to  forget  now  and  then  'that  little  balance  at  Reug- 
heimer'e,'  or  'that  small  matter  at  Klmck  &  Wicken- 
burg's.'  That  Mrs.  Green  wore  a  new  bonnet  at 
church  last  Sunday  which,  (although  a  positive  fright), 
did  make  your  wife's  last  winter's  hat  look  shabby 
alongside  of  it ;  or  if  perchance  I  bring  you  to  forget 

that  your  arrears  at the  club,  (blessed  institution) 

have  been  overdue  these  four  days,  in  consequence  of 


84  SAVED   BY   A    WOMAN; 

which  you  have  not  hinched  there  in  three;  if  but  for 
a  moment,  I  pay,  you  forget  these,  or  any  similar  con- 
siderations, in  following  me  in  my  adventures,  it  is 
all  I  can  hope  for,  and  quite  enough  to  content  me. 
For  believe  me,  it  is  well  worth  the  trouble — so  argues 
my  own  experience — to  turn  the  pages  of  the  very 
driest  of  chapters,  so  long  as  in  doing  so  we  are  made 
to  forget  the  alarming  discrepancy  between  our  ex- 
chequer and  the  myriad  demands  upon  it. 

And  now,  but  one  more  word  and  1  am  done  with 
prosing.  The  character  of  Mrs.  Nickolson,  who  lived 
and  still  lives,  is  not  an  isolated  one.  That  she  was 
among  the  fortunate  few  whom  opportunity  served 
in  pursuing  her  noble  work,  is  undoubtedly  true;  but 
that  she  was  exceptional  in  either  her  love  of  coun- 
try, her  self-denying  spirit,  or  her  courage,  is  as  un- 
doubtedly false.  Wliere  is  the  veteran  soldier  who 
cannot  point  you  to  more  than  one  incident  of  his  ex- 
perience,  in  which  the  devotion  and  patriotism  of  wo- 
man shines  forth  in  deeds  of  heroism,  among  the  very 
brightest  which  stud  the  annals  ot  the  late  war? 
Deeds  the  more  to  be  honored  because  achieved  in 
secret^  and  of  a  consequence,  unalloyed  by  a  single 
thought  of  personal  distinction  or  glory  ;  deeds  sel- 
dom rewarded  and  as  seldom  even  recognized.  Mrs. 
Nickolson,  then,  is  only  one  of  many  whose  devotion, 
whose  willingness  to  serve,  and  whose  personal  prow- 
ess were  to  the  full  as  great  as  hers,  but  who  lacked 
the  02?po7'tu7iity  to  achieve  the  same  amount  of  good 
as  herself.  While  I,  therefore,  in  my  humble  walk,  do 
honor  to  this  lady's  name,  let  me  not  forget  the  many 
others  whose  generous  deeds  are  covered  by  the  veil 
of  modesty.  Because  I  owe  my  life  to  her,  let  me 
not  forget  her  unknown  sisters,  who  have  saved  other 
lives  than  mine. 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  85 


CHAPTER  XIY. 

Although  all  personal  intercourse  with  my  newly 
made  friend  was  at  an  end  for  that  evening,  yet  was 
I  destined,  before  she  departed,  to  witness  a  certain 
ceremonial  in  which  she  played  a  conspicuous  part,  and 
which  afforded  me  a  still  greater  insight  into  the 
beauties  of  her  character.  This  was  the  distribution 
among  the  prisoners  of  certain  pairs  of  socks,  hand- 
kerchiefs, collars,  and  even  shirts,  and  also  of  cer- 
tain  small  packages,  carefully  wrapped,  and  said 
to  contain  tobacco,  snuff,  etc.  These  the  president 
produced  from  a  well-filled  pillow-case  which,  during 
our  interview,  she  had  kept  concealed  beneath 
the  piano.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  of  the 
donees  that  they  were  rough,  uncouth  fellows,  a  mot- 
ley crew  at  best,  and  by  far  more  familiar  with  the 
smell  of  gunpowder  than  with  the  perfume  of  "  eau 
de  cologne ;"  yet  were  there  none  forgotten,  each 
receiving  in  his  turn  some  little  token  of  the  watchful 
care  and  generous  love  of  their  acknowledged  bene- 
factress. And  these  gifts  were  not  offered  haughtily, 
or  condescendingly,  but  each  was  accompanied  by  a 
smile  and  a  manner  whose  perfect  candor  disarmed  at 
once  every  lurking  feeling  of  ditfidence  or  reserve. 
Thus  she  knew  them  all  personally  ;  called  them  by 
their  names ;  shared  with  them  their  hopes  and  their 
fears,  and,  as  far  as  she  was  able,  supplied  their  wants. 
There  was  something  quite  beautiful,  and  unspeakably 
touching,  too,  in  the  way  in  which  these  gifts  were 
received.  In  order  to  avoid  any  display  of  gratitude, 
the   good    woman    hurried  through    the    ceremony. 


86  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

scolding  all  who  dared  to  loiter  near  her  even  for  a 
moment ;  yet  was  there  time  enough  for  each  to  offer 
his  thanks,  and  in  a  manner,  too,  which  more  than 
once  brought  the  tears  to  mj  eyes. 

"  God  bless  you,  lady,"  one  would  say  in  husky  ac- 
cents, while  the  next  to  follow  could  only  looh  his 
thanks  through  eyes  that  swam  ;  and  the  next,  may- 
hap, would  grasp  her  extended  hand  along  with  the 
package  it  held,  and  cover  it  with  kisses ;  or 
fall  upon  his  knees,  and  with  all  the  hallowed 
reverence  a  worshipper  might  vouchsafe  to  some  holy 
relic,  press  to  his  lips  a  convenient  portion  of  her 
dress.  This  scene  affected  me  greatly,  nor  do  I  be- 
lieve it  is  ever  destined  to  fade  from  my  memory. 

I  saw  Mrs.  Nickolson  depart  with  a  feeling  of 
actual  sorrow,  and  I  roamed  listlessly  about  for  hours 
afterwards,  a  prey  to  'gloomy  reflection.  Even  after 
I  had  retired  to  rest,  my  thoughts  were  busy  with  the 
events  of  the  day,  each  particular  of  which  kept  con- 
stantly recurring  with  a  persistency  that  precluded  all 
possibility  of  sleep.  Nor,  strange  to  record,  did  I 
find  the  letrospect  in  the  least  degree,  enjoyable.  A 
etrange  uneasiness  had  taken  possession  of  me,  a  feel- 
ing which  I  could  not  define,  nor,  combat  it  as  I  would, 
could  I  master.  It  was  not  so  much  a  regret  for  the 
fleetness  of  my  season  of  happiness,  as  a  vague  fear 
that  some  evil  consequence  might  flow  out  of  it,  as  if 
some  dire  penalty  were  attached  to  so  much  enjoy- 
ment. I  reasoned  with  myself  in  vain.  I  even  sat 
up  in  bed  to  be  sure  that  I  was  thoroughly  awake, 
and  checked  off  the  "pros''  and  "cons"  on  my  fingers ; 
but  while  I  became  satisfied  that  my  one  hour  of 
pleasure  could  directly  cause  no  calamity,  yet  my 
undefined  fears  did  not  leave  me.  Towards  morning 
I  got  up  and  walked  about  for  an  hour,  after  which  I 


OR,   THE   HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  87 

felt  keenly  the  need  of  rest,  but  no  eooner  had  I  lain 
down  again  than  I  perceived  the  utter  uselessncss  of 
attempting  to  sleep.  My  eyes  seemed  propped  open, 
my  troubled  faculties  refused  to  desert  me.  I  arose 
again  and  walked  to  the  window.  The  first  streaks  of 
dawn  were  now  visible  in  the  east,  and  as  I  perceived 
it,  I  felt  my  heart  sink  with  an  odd  and  crushing  hope- 
lessness. I  sat  down  and  buried  ray  head  in  my 
pillow.  One  of  the  sleepers  moved  uneasily  and  I 
started  at  the  sound,  unable  in  my  extreme  nervous- 
ness to  account  for  it.  I  moved  once  more  to  the 
window  and  peered  without.  The  daylight  was  now 
fast  approaching,  and  in  the  uncertain  light  each 
object  I  beheld  seemed  distorted  and  misshapen. 
Whatever  I  looked  upon,  it  was  sure  to  move,  and 
with  a  degree  of  stealth  that  chilled  my  blood;  and  if 
I  heard  a  noise,  however  slight  or  commonplace, 
my  fancy  was  sure  to  give  it  some  evil  significance. 
I  shuddered  and  turned  away.  "God  of  mercy,"  I 
cried,. "can  this  be  madness?'' and,  as  if  in  answer  to 
my  despairing  cry  something  darted  through  the  win- 
dow and  fell  upon  ray  bed.  Trembling,  I  picked  it 
up  and  hurried  with  it  to  the  light.  It  was  a  small 
piece  of  white  paper  attached  by  a  string  to  a  brick, 
and  upon  it  was  scrawled  in  pencil  the  word  "to-day." 
I  unfolded  the  paper  and  a  sickening  horror  seized 
me  as  I  beheld  the  rude  drawing  of  a  coffin  sur- 
mounted by  a  skull  and  cross-bones;  and  almost  faint- 
ing I  fell  upon  my  bed  at  the  same  moment  that  a 
low,  taunting  laugh  reached  me  from  without.  Once 
again  I  arose  and  staggered  to  the  window,  reaching 
it  just  in  time  to  catch  a  single  glimpse  of  a  retreat- 
ing figure  as  it  slunk  away  in  the  serai-darkness. 
"Douglass,"  I  rauttered,  drawing  a  long  breath,  and 
oddly  enough,    the  belief  in  his  presence  gave  me 


88  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

instant  relief.  And  so  it  ever  is.  An  undefined  fear, 
the  unexplained  presence  of  evil,  is  more  torturing 
to  the  mind  by  half  than  the  full  knowledge  of  the 
direst  calamity  which  could  befall  us.  I  endeavored 
now  to  think  calnjly  and  carefully  over  ray  situation. 
Taking  for  granted  that  the  horribly  significant  mis- 
sive, which  I  still  held  crushed  in  my  hand,  had  come 
from  my  relentless  enemy,  I  was  not  long  in  reading 
it  thus :  First,  that  my  life  was  in  imminent  and  im- 
mediate danger,  and  further  that  an  attack  of  some 
kind  would  be  made  against  it  on  that  very  day. 
This  warning  I  considered  as  a  great  advantage 
gained.  It  mattered  little  that  I  was  entirely  ignorant 
of  the  particular  kind  of  weapon  my  antagonist 
would  employ  against  me,  I  was  at  least  able  to  show 
him  my  front,  knowing  when  to  look  for  him.  If  he 
could  be  stealthy,  I  could  be  wary  ;  if  he  (amply 
armed  and  surrounded  by  friends)  held  every  advan- 
tage, I  at  least  possessed  an  equal  amount  of  courage 
and  determination.  Having  canvassed  the  situation 
thus  far,  I  began  at  once  to  "breathe  more  freely,"  as 
the  phrase  goes  ;  but  suddenly  it  occurred  to  me  that 
it  was  possible,  nay,  even  probable,  that  my  arch 
enemy  would  employ  some  other  hand  than  his  own 
to  strike  at  my  life  ;  and  no  sooner  had  I  conceived 
this  idea  than  I  began  to  accept  it  as  a  certainty,  and 
once  more  was  I  cast  down,  even  to  utter  hopelessness. 
Scarcely  knowing  what  I  did,  I  dropped  on  my  knees 
clasping  tightly  my  throbbing  temples,  and  immedi- 
ately, even  before  I  knew  it,  my  heart  lifted  itself  in 
prayer.  The  attitude  alone  h&d  suggested  the  sup- 
plication, (alas,  that  it  should  have  been  so)  but  when 
I  arose  I  was  calmer  and  more  hopeful.  I  dressed 
myself  and  issued  forth.  The  first  bright  rays  of 
sunshine  were  slanting  along  the  grounds,and  the  fresh, 
brisk  morning  air  invigorated  and  cheered  me.     Ere  I 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  8^ 

had  walked  many  paces  the  eentry  challenged  me  and 
demanded  my  business,  but  having  explained  to  him 
that  I  was  feverish  and  could  not  rest,  he  kindly 
allowed  me  to  continue  on  my  way.  For  a  full  hour 
I  pursued  my  objectless  walk,  the  mere  act  of  motion 
seeming  to  divert  my  thoughts  and  so  assuage  my 
fears.  Although  I  had  fully  resolved  to  meet  my 
fate  unflinchingly  (and  I  never  doubted  the  near 
approach  of  evil),  yet  had  I  ceased  to  wonder  what  it 
was.  I  felt  now  a 'settled,  ceaseless  gloom,' nevertheless 
I  was  resigned,  and  if  I  felt  impatient,  it  was  rather 
from  suspense  than  from  a  lack  of  submission.  I 
even  began  to  long  for  the  blow  to  fall,  when  by  a 
defiant  and  fearless  bearing  I  might  either  conquer, 
or,  dying  with  a  still  unbroken  spirit,  cheat  my  enemy 
out  of  half  his  revenge.  While  yet  I  pursued  my 
purposeless  wanderings,  the  day  had  greatly  advanced 
and  the  business  thereof  had  well  begun.  The  bugle 
summoned  us  to  roll  call  preparatory  to  breakfast, 
and  with  the  rest  I  answered  the  signal ;  but  I  started 
when  my  name  was  called,  and  answered  as  one  in  a 
dream.  I  ate  my  breakfast  mechanically,  and  with 
such  an  air  of  abstractedness  that  several  remarked 
upon  it. 

"He's  still  asleep,"  said  one. 

"He's  been  carousing  all  night,"  said  another. 

"I  rather  think  he  is  drunk,"  said  a  third. 

And  to  each  of  these  charges  my  only  acklowledg- 
ment  was  a  weary  smile. 


90  SAVED    BY   A   WOMAN  I 


CHAPTER  XV. 

I  left  the  table  among  the  first,  only  to  continue 
my  solitary  rambling.  And  now  as  the  moments  flew 
and  1  found  myself  still  unmolested,  1  began  to  grow 
impatient.  Yes,  strange  inconsistency  of  the  human 
heart;  I  grew  actually  impatient  for  the  coming  of 
an  evil  whose  approach  I  never  doubted,  and  whose 
coming  I  felt  scarcely  less  certain  would  involve  the 
loss  of  my  life. 

A  distant  clock  struck  the  hour  of  nine.  I  had 
stopped  to  count  the  strokes,  and  having  done  so,  I 
was  about  to  move  on  again  when  the  sound  of  hurry- 
ing footsteps  arrested  .me.  Looking  around  I  per- 
ceived that  Putnam  was  approaching  me  in  a  half 
run,  and  ere  I  was  given  time  to  form  a  conjecture 
as  to  the  meaning  of  his  abrupt  visit,  he  \\as  at  my 
side. 

"My  dear  fellow,"  said  he,  "what  in  heaven's  name 
is  the  meaning  of  this  report,  which  has  just  reached 
me,  that  you  are  susjyected  of  being  a  sj)y,  and  that 
you  are  to  be  tried  by  court-martial  to-day .?" 

"Ah  !''  said  I,  with  a  sigh  of  actual  relief ;  "this  is 
it  then  ;  at  last  I  see  his  hand." 

"Eh?"  said  Putnam,  "I  do  not  understand." 

"It  is  nothing,"  I  returned  with  a  sorry  attempt  at  a 
laugh  ;  "nothing,  except  that  'tis  a  lie.  I  am  no  more 
spy  than  you  are." 

"And  you  can  prove  it?" 

"Indeed  I  cannot." 

"You  cannot?  then  this  is  serious." 

"If  the  loss  of  my  life  be  serious." 


OR,   THE    HIDDEN   ROMANCE  91 

"But,  my  dear  fellow,  you  speak  strangely  ;  you  do 
not  even  seem  surprised." 

"No,  my  friend,"  said  I,  "I  am  not  in  the  least 
surprised.  This  is  nothing  less  than  a  plot  to  ruin 
me.  I  have  an  enemy  of  whom  I  have  told  you 
something,  he  has  done  this.  I  knew  full  well  he  was 
about  to  strike,  for  he  even  warned  me,  but  I  did  not 
know  until  now  what  would  be  his  mode  of  attack." 

"Good  God,"  said  Putnam,  "this  is  bad  ;  and  you 
say  he  warned  you?" 

"Even  so ;  come,  stroll  along  with  me  and  I  will 
tell  you  all." 

I  now  told  him  how  that  all  night  long  I  had  been  una- 
ble to  sleep,  a  prey  to  an  extretne  nervous  depression, 
which  at  first  I  could  not  account  for,  but  which 
later  I  had  recognized  as  the  shadow  of  an  approaching 
evil.  I  produced  the  horrible  warnmg  and  showed 
it  to  him,  mentioning  every  mysterious  circumstance 
connected  with  it,  and  I  wound  up  by  saying  that  I 
believed  the  snare  had  been  but  too  well  laid, 
and  that  I  could  not  hope  to  escape  its  consequences; 
but  that  I  was  resolved  to  meet  my  doom  as  became 
a  man  and  a  soldier. 

Instead  of  offering  me  his  sympathy,  Pumam,  to 
my  unbounded  surprise,  seized  me  by  the  collar  with 
his  powerful  right  hand,  and  shook  me  until  my  teeth 
chattered  again. 

"  Now,  in  the  name  of  all  the  gods  at  once,"  shouted 
be,  by  a  mere  chance  hitting  upon  a  quotation  to  suit 
the  occasion  ;  "  'pon  what  meat  doth  this  oiir — what's 
his  name,  feed,  that  he  hath  grown  so  great  ?  So  great 
as  to  make  a  coward  of  you  ;  to  rob  you  of  your  spirit, 
your  energy  and  independence.  Will  you  allow  this 
sneaking  coward  to  swear  away  your  life,  while  you 
stand  submissively  by  and  mope  like  this,   actually 


92  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAX  ; 

holding  your  neck  for  the  halter  ?  Wake  up,  I  say  ; 
what  in  heaven's  name  will  become  of  your  old  father 
when  you  are  hung?  No  hope!  nonsense — no 
hope  !  the  devil." 

Under  other  circumstances,  this  rough  usage  might 
have  nettled  me,  but  now,  in  contemplating  the  advice 
itself,  I  lost  sight  of  the  emphatic  manner  in  which 
it  was  given.  The  suddenness  and  violence  of  his 
attack  ;  the  emphasis  with  which  he  spoke  ;  his  alUi- 
sion  to  my  father,  reminding  me  of  his  age  and  help- 
less condition,  and  the  sudden  and  sweet  conviction^ 
that  there  was  at  least  one  iriend  at  hand,  all  conspired 
to  stimulate  my  waning  hope,  and  arouse  me  into 
action. 

In  a  single  moment  of  time,  then  ;  so  susceptible 
are  we  by  nature,  so  slight  the  agencies  which  sway 
us,  whether  for  good  or  evil,  so  fickle  our  judgment, 
and  so  frail  the  foundation  upon  which  we  often  buHd 
our  strongest  arguments;  in  a  single  moment  of  time, 
the  despair  which  had  tilled  my  heart  had  flown  and 
left  it  bounding  with  a  new-born  hope. 

Ah,  what  tremendous  destinies  may  hang  upon  this 
brief  interval,  "one  moment  of  time."  Even  in  the 
first  story  of  all — that  of  the  Garden  of  Eden — we 
may  perceive  this  momentous  yet  little  thought  of 
fact.  The  doom  of  ages,  the  fate  of  millions,  hung 
upon  the  few  brief  seconds  of  indecision  which  pre- 
ceded the  fall  of  man.  In  a  moment  our  Lord  was 
betrayed,  and  in  a  n  oment  did  Peter  deny  him.  It 
consumes  less  than  a  moment  to  sign  away  the  peace 
of  a  nation,  and  in  a  moment  or  less  the  guillotine 
accomplishes  its  dreadful  work.  In  a  single  instant 
the  very  blackest  of  crimes  may  be  committed  ;  and, 
thank  God  for  this— in  an  instant  too,  so  merciful  ivS 
our  Master,  the  very   blackest  of  crimes  may  be  re- 


OR,   THE    HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  93 

pented.  What  valuable  lessons  should  we  learn  from 
these  contemplations.  With  what  extreme  care  and 
deliberation  should  we  form  our  conclusions  and  our 
resolves,  and  how  well  considered  should  be  our 
speech  at  all  times  and  under  all  circumstances.  These 
are  the  lessons  He  contempbted  to  teach,  who  said: 
"  Be  ye  slow  to  anger  ; ''  and  these  the  precepts  so 
beautifully  comprised  in  the  words,  "Give  thy 
thoughts  no  tongue,  nor  any  unproportioued  thought 
his  act." 

To  Putnam  I  now  turned,  and  grasping  his  hand  in 
the  sincerity  of  my  gratitude,  I  began  to  thank  him 
for  his  friendly  interest  and  excellent  advice. 

"My  dear  friend,''  I  said,  "already  I  see  my  situa- 
tion in  a  new  and  more  hopeful  light.  I  shall  no 
more  despair,  I  shall — '' 

"  There — there,''  said  he,  suddenly  tightening  his 
grip  upon  my  hand,  "  it  is  too  late  to  say  more  ;  see, 
here  they  come.  Never  say  die,  remember  that.  I 
will  do  all  in  my  power;  I  will  not  rest ;  be  calm; 
be  cautious  ;  be  firm  ;  but  above  all,  be  hopeful ;  and 
now  good-bye." 

He  was  turning  away,  but  at  that  moment  and  for 
the  first  time  a  horrible  thought  crossed  my  ii  ind, 
and  stretching  forth  my  hand  I  held  him  back. 

"  Putnam,"  I  said,  "  a  single  word  before  you  go. 
Should  the  worst  come,  and  tbey  drag  me  to  the  scaf- 
fold, you  will  not  let  me  die  like  a  dog;  promise  me 
solemnly,  that  you  will — '' 

"  Hist,"  said  he,  trying  to  escape — "  hist,  they  are 
here." 

"  Promise,''  said  I ;  "if  you  be  a  man,  promise  me.'' 

"  I  promise,"  said  he,  shuddering  perceptibly — "I 
will  do  it,  if  1  cany 

I  loosened  my  grip,  and  he  wa8  gone.     1  had  no 


94  SAVED   BY   A   W03IAN ; 

time  for  further  thought.  Not  a  moment  in  which  I 
mi,2;ht  have  seen  the  magnitude  of  the  wrong  I  had 
inflicted  upon  my  best  fiiend,  in  thus  exacting  from 
him  a  promiee,  to  be  true  to  which  he  must  inevita- 
bly have  wrecked  his  own  happiness,  and  as  surely 
have  hazarded  his  life. 

Ere  Putnam  had  walked  a  dozen  yards  away,  an 
orderly  and  three  privates  stepped  up  to  where  he 
had  left  me  standing. 

"  Your  name,  sir,"  said  the  orderly. 

I  drew  myself  up,  and  gave  it  in  full. 

"  I  have  been  ordered  to  escort  you  under  special 
arrest  before  the  court-martial.  Forward — (Dennis, 
you  and  Uurch  lead  the  way — Thompson,  bring  up 
the  rear  with  me) — march.'' 

I  made  no  resistance. 

Until  we  left  the  prison  grounds  where,  of  course, 
we  were  the  "observed  of  all  observers,''  [  felt  an 
actual  delight  in  the  thought  that  my  steps  were  firm 
and  my  bearing  proud.  A  walk  of  five  minutes  brought 
us  to  a  handsome  dwelling,  recessed  from  the  street, 
at  the  gate  of  which  stood  several  richly  caparisoned 
horses.  This,  I  soon  learned,  was  our  destination.  A 
sentinel  challenged  us;  the  orderly  spoke  a  few  low 
words  in  his  ear,  and  the  gate  swung  open  to  admit  us. 
The  sound  of  boisterous  merriment  reached  my  ear  as 
we  entered,  and  grew  louder  as  we  approached  the 
somewhat  gloomy-looking  edifice.  I  cannot  say  why, 
but  it  sent  a  cold  chill  careering  through  my  veins. 
At  the  door  we  again  halted  and  the  orderly  went 
forward,  leaving  me  with  the  three  others.  Soon, 
however,  he  returned  and  led  the  way  into  a  large 
room,  where  the  "Tribunal  iVl ilitaire,"  was  already 
assembled.  In  the  single  haughty  glance  which  I 
threw   around  me   as  1  entered,  I  saw  a  large  table 


OR,   THE   HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  95 

upon  which  was  piled  a  number  of  hats,  some  belts 
containing  side- arms,  and  a  few  swords,  and  around 
which  were  seated  a  number  of  officers.  Immediately 
opposite  the  door,  and  just  behind  the  president's 
chair,  stood  a  side-board  laden  with  decanters  and 
glasses,  explaining  at  once  the  source  of  the  mirth 
which  I  had  heard  while  approaching  the  house.  Ex- 
cept these,  the  room  was  bare.  As  we  entered,  there 
was  a  rap  upon  the  table,  followed  by  a  hiding  of 
smiles  behind  handkerchiefs,  a  pulling  down  of  vests, 
a  whispering  and  a  winking,  after  which  there  was  a 
chorus  of  clearing  of  throats,  an  assumption  of  grave 
dignity,  and  lastly  silence.  It  was  easy  to  perceive 
from  these  an^  other  signs  betokening  impatience, 
that  the  company  had  been  disturbed  in  the  midst  of 
festivities  very  much  to  their  liking,  and  that  they 
were  by  no  means  well  pleased  at  the  interruption. 
There  was  a  look  and  an  air  about  the  whole  assembly 
which,  to  me,  was  painfully  eloquent,  and  which  I 
read  thus  :  "A  plague  upon  the  meaningless  rigmarole 
of  a  military  trial.  If  we  had  not  to  conform  to  these 
empty  formalities  this  fellow  might  have  been  com- 
fortably shot  without  disturbing  our  frolic  ;"  and  I 
confess  there  was  something  exceedingly  unpleasant 
in  the  perusal.  To  me  it  smacked  of  a  verdict  already 
fixed  upon,  of  a  doom  already  sealed. 

I  did  not,  however,  allow  these  ominous  appear- 
ances to  rob  me  of  one  tithe  of  my  firmness,  and  when 
the  president  commenced  ihe  proceedings  by  reading 
aloud  my  name,  and  paused,  looking  at  me  with  an 
interrogation  point  in  his  eye,  I  bowed  with  the  air  of 
a  man  who  was  very  proud  of  it  indeed,  and  who  was 
not  in  the  least  afraid  of  its  ever  getting  him  into 
trouble. 

"  Ycu  are  denounced,"  said  the  president,   "by  Ser- 


96  SAVED   BY   A   WOMA]S' ; 

geant  Douglass,  of  the — ah,  regiment  and  division 
bhirred— as  a  spy.  The  penalty,  you  are  aware,  is 
death,"  continued  he,  coolly  folding  up  the  paper  and 
removing  his  eye-glasses.  "Call  Sergeant  Douglass 
and  let  him  make  the  charge." 

Immediately  there  was  a  scarcely  perceptible  noise 
behind  me,  and  glancing  round,  I  saw  the  grinning 
face  of  Douglass,  behind  whom  stood  two  privates, 
who  afterwards  appeared  as  witnesses  against  me.  It 
is  useless  to  say  that,  to  my  knowledge,  I  had  never 
seen  either  of  them,  nor  can  I  believe  that  they  had 
€ver  seen  me.  Douglass  made  his  charge  in  a  mo- 
notonous sing-song  strain,  avowing  that  on  several 
occasions  he  had  seen  me  within  the  federal  lines  wear- 
ing their  uniform  and  mingling  freely  with  the  troops. 
He  mentioned  several  places  and  dates  (which  have 
since  escaped  me),  where  and  when  he  had  seen  me. 
In  proof  of  these  charges  he  produced  as  witnesses  the 
two  privates,  who  swore  that  they,  too,  had  seen  me 
on  each  of  the  occasions  mentioned  by  Douglass  and 
under  the  circumstances  described.  The  plot,  I  soon 
perceived,  had  been  ingeniously  laid,  and  before  the 
somewhat  prolix  charges  had  been  half  made  and 
sworn  to,  I  saw  my  inevitable  fate  before  me.  The 
court  listened  with  every  evidence  of  increasing  im- 
patience, and  at  length  the  president,  rapping  loudly 
upen  the  table,  remarked  that  the  witnesses  were  con- 
suming entirely  too  much  time.  Douglass,  ceasing 
at  this,  glanced  for  a  moment  at  the  faces  around  the 
table,  and  as  if  he  read  in  them  an  all-sufficient  reason 
for  so  doing,  he  saluted  and  withdrew. 

"  Have  you  finished  ?"  asked  the  president. 

"  I  have  nothing  more  to  say,  sir,"  said  he. 

"  And  what  has  the  prisoner  to  say  in  his  own  de- 
fense?" continued  the  former,  turning  to  me. 


OR,   THE   HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  97 

"Simply  that  these  accusations  are  all  false  from 
beginning  to  end,  sir,  and  that  they  are  manufactured 
by  an  unscrupulous  scoundrel,  who,  too  cowardly  to 
seek  the  reparation  common  among  men  of  courage, 
resorts  to  this  dastardly  means  of  satisfying  his  per- 
sonal revenge." 

Uttering  this  bitter  speech  with  all  the  vehemence 
of  long  pent-upanger,  I  looked  the  while  straight  into 
the  eyes  of  my  cowardly  accuser,  and  had  the  satisfac- 
tion of  seeing  that  his  glan  -e  fell  before  me,  and  that 
he  actually  writhed  in  his  seat. 

There  was  a  perceptible  stir  occasioned  by  this  de- 
fiant outburst,  and  the  president,  re-adjusting  his  eye- 
glasses, looked  at  me  through  them  long  and  search- 
ingly. 

"_  You  are  strangely  violent,  sir,"  said  he,  in  a  voice 
which  betrayed  not  a  little  agitation,  "considering 
certain  unpleasant  facts,  which  you  seem  to  have  for- 
gotten. But  where  is  your  proof;  nothing  less  will 
serve  you  here." 

"And  do  YOU  ask  me  for  proof,"  I  cried,  the  mock- 
ery of  this  demand  firing  my  indignation  and  depriving 
me  of  every  instinct  of  caution  ;  "you  who  know  every 
circumstance  con jected  with  these  baseless  ch?.rges? 
You,  who  know  that,  up  to  a  few  moments  ago,  I  was 
not  even  aware  of  their  existence.  What  time  has 
been  allowed  me  to  prepare  defense  of  any  kind  ? 
There  is  not  a  shadow  either  of  justice  or  common 
sense  in  such  a  demand,  and  this  you  well  know. 
You  both  mock  my  helplessness  and  disgrace  the  office 
you  hold,  sir.'' 

"  Silence  !  "  thundered  the  president,  rising  to  his 
feet  and  turning  livid  with  rage. 

"I  am  nearly  through,"  continued  I,  smiling  at  his 
wrath. 

7 


98  SAVED   BY   A    WOMAN; 

"You  shall  insult  US  no  further,  sir,"  shouted  he 
again,  while  he  reached  forward  and  half  drew  from 
its  scabbard  a  sword  which  was  lying  before  him. 

"  No  other  power  than  death  shall  stop  me,  sir,"  said 
I,  folding  my  arms  across  my  chest  and  eying  him 
coolly. 

"  Then  death  it  shall  be,"  cried  he  fiercely,  as  he  drew 
forth  the  blade  and  started  toward  me.  There  was  now 
a  general  rising  from  the  table,  and  a  hurried  resump- 
tion of  weapons.  Some  of  the  more  impetuous  pre- 
pared to  annihilate  me  at  once,  but  a  few  of  the  older 
officers  interposed  themselves  resolutely  between  us, 
while  an  old  colonel  hooked  arms  with  the  president 
himself,  and  leading  him  forcibly  aside,  began  a  whis- 
pered remonstrance.  In  less  time  than  I  have  con- 
sumed in  the  telling,  the  officers  resumed  their  seats, 
and  the  president,  in  a  choking  voice,  informed  me 
that  I  might  say  whatever  I  wished  in  my  defense, 
but  if  a  word  were  uttered,  coming  not  strictly  under 
this  head,  the  court  would  proceed  to  pass  sentence  at 
once. 

"  I  have  nearly  finished,  sir,"  said  I.  "I  have  only 
to  protest  against  these  proceedings,  the  indecent 
haste  and  the  mockery  of  which  dishonors  your  coun- 
try and  yoiu\flag,  and  insults  mine.  I  well  know  that 
your  verdict  was  fixed  upon,  even  before  you  saw  me, 
and  that,  had  you  dared,  you  would  have  had  me  shot 
without  a  hearing  ;  and  I  have  to  say  this:  that  the 
day  of  reckoning  for  each  of  you  will  as  surely  come 
as  that  the  sun  rises  and  sets.  And  as  to  that  cowardly 
scoundrel  whose  lies  you  accept  as  truths,  let  him 
tremble,  also,  for  whether  I  live  or  die,  a  terrible  ven- 
geance awaits  him.  Now,  sir,  I  am  ready  to  hear  your 
sentence." 

There  was  a  moment  of  silence,  followed  by  another 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  99 

of  whispering,  and  the  president  arose  and  said,  lacon- 
icallj : 

"To-morrow,  at  sunrise,  and  3'ou  shall  have  until 
then   to  decide  whether  you  will  be  hanged  or  shot." 

"  I  wish  no  time  to  decide  thi?,"  said  I.  "  Let  me 
die  a  soldier's  death." 

"  Take  him  away,"  said  the  president,  and  a  mo- 
ment later,  I  was  being  led  back  to  prison,  surrounded 
by  a  strong  escort. 


CHAPTER  X.YL. 

There  are  periods  in  the  lives  of  most  men  which, 
although  they  vie  in  importance  with  the  most  re- 
markable events  of  a  lifetime,  are  yet  remembered 
vaguelj'  and  disconnectedly;  and  especially  is  this 
the  case  when  impending  danger  gives  consequence  to 
the  occasion.  At  such  moments  the  mighty  instinct 
of  self-preservation  engages  our  every  energy,  and  soon 
our  mental  faculties  become  clouded  from  overwork. 
Myriad  plots  and  plans  flash,  m.eteor-like,  through  our 
brains,  to  be  abandoned  almost  as  soon  as  conceived, 
each  bringing  with  it  a  momentary  ray  c^  hope  and 
leaving  behind  it  the  blackness  of  despair.  And  so  it 
is,  that  all  these  vacillations,  too  numerous  and  too 
fleeting  to  strike  us  with  retentive  force,  are  soon  for- 
gotten, and  we  remember  the  period  and  the  events 
thereof  only  as  a  unit.  The  traveler,  caught  in  a  ter- 
rific storm,  will  scarcely  forget  the  adventure  itself, 
but  he  cannot  tell  you  how  many  flashes  blinded  him, 
or  how  many  peals  of  thunder  shook  the  earth,  not- 
withstanding that  each  terrific  shock  made  him  cringe 
and  tremble  at  the  time. 


100  SAVED   BY   A    WOMAN; 

Such  a  period,  then,  and  so  remembered,  were  the 
few  sliort  hours  immediately  followir.^  my  sentence.  I 
liave  no  remembrance  that  the  fear  of  death  haunted 
me,  or  that  I  lost  hope  for  a  sino^le  moment.  The  ac- 
tivity of  my  friends,  and  their  words  of  encourage- 
ment, the  universal  indisjnation  which  my  position 
called  forth,  and  above  all  my  freedom  ;  for  I  was  not 
locked  in  a  cell,  as  might  have  been  expected ;  all 
these  conspired  to  give  employment  to  my  thoughts, 
and  to  keep  them  back  from  the  dread  to-morrow.  I 
was  as  active  as  the  most  zealous,  and  to  the  full  as 
cool  to  all  outward  seeming,  and  yet  I  had  every 
reason  to  despair. 

Putnam  was  one  of  the  first  to  meet  me  after  the 
trial. 

"  As  I  expected,''  said  I. 

"  But  not  the  rope;''  said  he,  with  a  perceptible 
shudder ;  "  tell  me  it  is  not  the  rope.'' 

"No,  thank  heaven,"  said  I,  "  they  have  promised 
me  a  soldier's  death.'' 

"A  tight  scrape,"  said  he  thoughtfully,  "  but  we 
have  been  in  a  tighter,  eh  ?  Take  courage.  What  a 
pity  we  can  do  nothing  till  darhP 

"  Till  dark." 

"  I  echoed  the  words,  and  strangely  enough  I  began 
from  that  moment  to  look  upon  the  coming  of  the 
night  as  the  period  which  would  end  my  troubles.  I 
have  said  that  I  was  active,  and  this  I  repeat ;  but  in 
what  my  activity  consisted  I  know  not,  nor  can  I  say 
what  it  was  that  I  hoped  or  expected  to  gain  from  it. 
I  dined  as  usual,  and  I  remember  that,  although  every 
eye  was  turned  upon  me,  I  read  in  them  nothing  but 
encouragement.  Many  of  my  companions  toasted  me, 
and  wished  me  God-speed  upon  my  journey,  each  ac- 
cepting my  escape  as  certain. 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  101 

After  dinner,  Dr.  Baldwin  took  me  aside  and  handed 
me  a  crisp  twenty  dollar  greenback  note.  "  Thie," 
said  be,  "  may  be  useful.  There  is  scarce  a  lock 
which  a  golden  key  will  not  open." 

Thanking  him,  1  took  the  note  and  added  it  to  my 
scanty  fund. 

"  Putnam  is  raising  a  purse  for  you,"  said  the  doc- 
tor.    "Ah,  here  he  is  now." 

"I've  just  seen  them  all,"  said  my  huge  friend, 
walking  briskly  up.  "Let  me  see,  here  is  the  list : 
Dr.  Baldwin,  twenty  (he  has  given  you  his);  Elliott, 
twenty ;  Dr.  Ford,  twenty ;  Judge  Marchbanks, 
twenty  ;  myself,  twenty  ; — now,  what  had  you  before  ? 
Count  it  up." 

"One  hundred  and  sixty  dollars,  all  told,"  said  I, 
after  reckoning  my  wealth. 

"Good,"  said  Putnam,  "that  will  do  admirably, 
and  now  we  can  do  no  more  until — " 

"  Until  dark,"  said  I. 

"At  least,  until  after  roll  call,"  said  the  other. 

"Do  you  know,"  said  Dr.  Baldwin,  "  that  Brown 
has  taken  the  oath,  and  was  released  an  hour  ago  ?" 

"  Is  it  possible,"  said  I. 

"  Yes,  it  was  I  who  begged  him  to  do  it,  although 
I  had  reason  to  believe  he  would  have  done  so  before 
very  long  of  his  own  accord.  I  wished  to  communi- 
cate with  Mrs.  Nickolson  in  your  behalf,  and  this  was 
my  only  chance." 

"  And  did  you  send  him  to  her,  doctor?" 

"Yes,  and  if  he  has  succeeded  in  seeing  her,  she 
will  be  here  before  the  sun  goes  down." 

The  doctor  had  scarcely  ceased  speaking  when  a 
carriage  rolled  up  to  the  gateway. 

"The  reception  room,"  said  the  latter,  abd  I  imme- 
diately made  my  way  thither. 


102  SAVED    BY   A   woman; 

Mrs.  Nickolson  was  not  long  in  appearing. 

"Mj  dear  young  friend,"  said  she,  approaching  me 
with  both  hands  extended,  '''•  xohat  is  this  I  hear?  Oh, 
dreadful,  cruel  war.  But  have  you  hope^  have  you 
courage  ?  '' 

"  Thank  heaven,  madam,  I  have  both,"  said  I,  as  I 
stooped  and  touched  each  of  her  hands  to  my  lips. 

"  Then  never  despair,  I  am  doing  my  utmost  to  save 
you,  and  can  only  stay  to  eay  so  much.  If  I  succeed, 
you  shall  hear  from  me  io  time,  and  if  I  do  not — 
but  I  WILL — good-bye." 

Without  waiting  for  me  to  reply,  she  hooked  arms 
with  Dr.  Baldwin  and  hurried  from  the  room.  1 
walked  to  the  window  to  see  her  depart,  and  was  rather 
surprised  to  notice  that  the  gate  stood  ajar,  and  that 
several  men,  whom  I  took  to  be  prisoners,  were  en- 
tering. I  counted  Fcv^en  of  theee,  and  was  wondering 
where  they  had  been  captured  and  what  news  they 
might  bring,  when  something  about  the  foremost 
struck  me  as  familiar.  I  looked  at  him  more  closely 
as  he  approached,  and  soon  perceived  that  he  was  in- 
deed an  old  acquaintance,  Willie  Watterson  by  name. 
A  friend,  I  should  rather  say,  for  although  I  had 
known  him  in  all  but  two  weeks,  yet  so  slowly 
do*  the  hours  of  adversity  drag  themselves  away, 
that,  in  that  otherwise  limited  time,  there  had  sprung 
up  a  warm  friendship  between  us.  I  had  first  met 
with  him  at  Shelby ville,  and  had  partem  with  him 
at  the  depot  in  Nashville  on  the  day  of  our  arrival, 
he  to  go  to  \,hQ  jail,  and  I  to  come  to  the  peniten- 
tiary, Wq  was  scarcely  out  of  his  teens  and  pos- 
sessed a  hearty,  open  manner,  a  handsome  face,  and  a 
light-heartedness  withal  which  seldom  failed  to  please 
at  first  sight.  I  sought  him  out  at  once,  and  told  him 
my  sad  story.     As  I  expected,  he  was  greatly  shocked, 


OR,   THE   HIDDEN   ROMANCE. 


103 


and  his  words  of  sympathy  were  many  and  sincere. 
He  made  me  repeat  my  story  many  times  over,  and 
after  each  repetition,  he  poured  forth  a  perfect  torrent 
of  abuse  upon  all  blue-coats ;  invariably  windmg  up 
by  saying,  "  but  you  shall  not  die  so— no,  by  heaven, 
you  shall  not." 

Shall  I  own  that  these  vehement  assertions  pleased 
me  well?  That  I  fed  my  hope  upon  these  empty 
boasts,  and  that,  stranger  still,  I  found  them  nutritious 
and  strengthening?  Tell  me,  ye  wise  men— is  there 
any  such  thing  as  downright  despair  ?  At  length  1 
questioned  Wutterson  concerning  himself  and  his  own 
fortunes. 

"  I  have  taken  the  oath,"  said  he  sadly  ;  "  there  was 
nothing  else  for  it.  I  blush  to  own  it,  but  I  was  com- 
pelled to  the  step  by  necessity.  What  that  necessity 
is,  1  cannot  tell  you  now.  There  are  nine  of  us,  all 
told,  who  obtained  our  release  this  morning,  and  as 
most  of  us  had  friends  here,  we  were  allowed  to  visit 
the  penitentiary.  I  swear  to  you,  my  friend,  that  I 
am  ashamed  to  look  you  in  the  face,  but  if  you  but 

knew — "    .  1  ,        ,  1    J 

I  stopped  him  abruptly,  for  a  sudden  hope  had 
flashed  through  me.  "  Hold,"  I  said,  "  you  must  have 
had  a  pass — let  me  see  it." 

He  looked  at  me  steadily  for  a  mcment,  and  as  my 
meaning  struck  him,  he  turned  pale.  ^    ^ 

"I  understand,"  said  he,  in  a  low  voice,  "  but  it  is 
of  no  use — a  part  of  it  is  printed." 

"  But  the  signature,  let  me  see  that'' 

Without  a  word  he  produced  the  pass,  which! 
€natched  eagerly  from  him ;  but  a  single  glance  at  it 
was  sufficient  to  crush  my  hope,  for  there  was  a  seal 
upon  it  which  I  saw  at  once,  would  defy  every  art  of 


104  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

forgery.  Slowly,  and  sorrowfully,  I  handed  it  back 
to  him. 

"  Without  the  seal,  it  would  be  useless,"  I  said. 

"Yes,"  said  Watterson,  "but  I  have  thought  of 
something  else.  Look  you,"  he  continued,  with  in- 
creasing  agitation,  "this  pass  may  save  you  yet.  It  is 
made  out  for  nine  men,  and  on  our  route  hither,  two 
strayed  away.  Do  you  sec— do  you  understand?" 
cried  he,  as  with  trembling  hand  he  grasped  my  shoul- 
der ;  "  you  can  pass  out  as  one  of  those  who  did  not 
enter  P 

Heaven  help  me.  I  had  sustained  my  courage  up 
to  this  moment  upon  absolutely  nothing;  but  now, 
that  a  reasonable  chance  of  escape  presented  itself,  I 
grew  in  an  instant  as  weak  as  a  child. 

"  Go,"  said  Watterson,  who  had  actually  to  support 
my  tottering  limbs;  "go — lose  not  a  moment.  See, 
already  they  are  assemiiling  for  the  ro;l  call.  Answer 
to  your  name,  then  hasten  away  and  disguise  yourself. 
Borrow  another  suit,  and  shave  off  your  heard.  We 
can  only  remain  here  until  seven  o'clock.  Rouse 
yourself,  my  dear  friend,  and  be  active,  without  dis- 
playing haste;  be  bold,  but  cautious ;  lose  no  time  in 
action^  but  lose  sufficient  in  thought,  that  your  deserv- 
ing has'e  may  be  the  greater;  go,  and  meet  me  at  the 
gate  as  "  Jackson  Williams." 

"  I  will  do  as  you  say,"  said  I,  "your  thoughts  are 
inspired.  But  why  must  I  call  myself  Jackson  Wil- 
liams ?'' 

"  Because  such  was  the  name  of  one  of  the  men 
who  strayed  away." 

"Enough,"  said  I;  "  I  will  be  there." 

I  was  barely  in  time  to  answer  to  my  name,  having 
done  which,  I  touched  Putnam's  arm  and  led  him  to 
our  room.     Once  there,  I  told  in  a  few  words  of  what 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  105- 

had  passed  between  Watterson  and  myself,  and  before 
I  had  yet  finished,  the  honest  fellow  began  to  strip- 
himself  of  his  clothes.  I  verily  believe  that  had  I  not 
stopped  him,  he  would,  in  his  blind  generosity,  have 
divested  himself  of  every  rag  he  wore ;  but  having 
hinted  to  him  that  his  garments  were  at  least  a  dozen 
sizes  too  large  for  me,  he  began  slowly  to  don  them 
again  with  an  air  of  much  disappointment. 

"I  will  find  you  a  suit,"  said  ho,  hurrying  away, 
"meanwhile  go  to  Dr.  Jones  and  get  a  clean  shave." 

I  found  the  doctor  at  home,  puzzling  his  brain 
over  a  problem  of  chess. 

"Walk  in,"  said  he,  "draw  up  a  chair  and  look  at 
this — whites  to  play  and  check  in  three  moves." 

"Come,  doctor,"  said  I,  "I  am  in  something  of  a 
hurry  ;  shave  me  clean — quick." 

"Eh,"  said  he,  "there  is  really  not  a  particle  of 
soap." 

"Never  mind,  sir,  if  you  can  make  it  appear  that  I 
shaved  a  day  or  so  ago  so  much  the  better,  and  I 
fancy  the  absence  of  soap  will  help  lo  produce  thi& 
very  appearance." 

The  doctor  looked  his  amazement,  and  although 
he  prepared  to  do  as  requested,  his  movements  were 
so  slow  that  I  was  obliged  to  acquaint  him  with  a 
portion  of  my  story  in  order  to  arouse  him  into 
greater  activity.  To  produce  a  pair  of  scissors  and  to 
crop  me  close  was  the  work  of  a  very  few  moments ;. 
after  which  followed  the  scraping  with  the  very 
dullest  of  razors,  a  process  which  was  a  little  less  than 
torture.  Although  the  doctor  was  but  a  few  mo- 
ments in  completing  his  task,  yet  did  it  appear  an 
age  to  me,  fretted  and  impatient  as  I  was,  and  when 
I  arose  from  my  chair  it  was  with  a  feeling  of  relief 
seldom  more  sincerely  felt.     After  washing  my  face,. 


106  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

which  felt  strangely  diminutive  and  unfamiliar  be- 
tween my  palms,  I  hastened  to  the  glass  to  note  the 
change  made  in  my  appearance.  I  confess  I  was  not 
prepared  for  so  great  an  one.  The  bronzed  soldier 
with  fierce  moustache  and  long  beard  had  become  a 
fimooth-faced  youth,  the  upper  half  of  whose  physi- 
ognomy was  sunburnt  enough,  but  whose  cheeks 
were  as  fair  as  a  girl's. 

"This  will  never  do,"  said  I,  turning^  to  the  doctor, 
^'the  contrast  between  my  upper  and  lower  face  is 
too  striking.     I  will  be  detected  at  once." 

"I  have  thought  of  that,"  said  he,  "and  happily  I 
have  the  remedy  at  hand.  Resume  your  seat  for  a 
moment." 

While  speaking  the  doctor  had  produced  a  coffee- 
pot, into  which  he  now  plunged  his  hand  and  drew 
iorth  a  quantity  of  the  dripping  sediment.  This  he 
rubbed  upon  jny  cheeks,  and  having  given  it  time  to 
dry  he  brushed  away  the  particles  which  adhered  and 
announced  with  every  evidence  of  sati^factioQ  that  I 
might  now  defy  recognition. 

"Remember,  however,"  said  he,  "that  soap  and 
water  or  even  a  vigorous  rubbing  without  either, 
will  obliterate  your  artificial  bronze  ;  look." 

Thus  speaking  he  held  the  glass  before  me,  and 
I  was  greatly  pleased  to  note  how  well  this  simple 
device  had  worked. 

Taking  a  hurried  farewell  of  the  doctor,  whose  kind 
words  at  parting  I  felt  to  be  sincere,  I  hurried  toward 
ray  room.  As  I  hastened  along  the  gloomy  passage  the 
sudden  remembrance  came  to  me  of  my  first  visit  to 
Dr.  Jones.  This  remembrance,  and  the  reflections  it 
<ionjured  up,  took  me  at  a  bound  to  the  scene  with 
the  French  barber  in  Chattanooga,  and  brought  me 
back  again  to  the  present,  and  to  the  fact  of  my  now 


OR,   THE   HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  107 

beardless  face.  Many  a  time  before  had  I  pondered 
deeply  upon  the  mystery  of  the  first  two  of  these 
occasions.  Many  a  time  had  1  aeked  my  inmost  self 
if  indeed  it  could  have  been  my  mother's  spirit  who 
had  twice  prevented  me  from  carrying  out  the  same 
intention,  and  who  once  had  warned  me  against  the 
man  who  had  indeed  proven  himself  a  subtle  and 
remorseless  enemy,  but  never  had  I  found  an  answer 
to  the  puzzling  queries.  Never,  until  now,  when 
of  a  sudden  the  mystery  appeared  revealed  before  me. 
The  sublime,  the  beautiful  thought  of  a  mother's 
love,  living  even  beyond  the  grave,  overwhelmed  me 
with  emotion,  and  involuntarily  pausing  I  raised  my 
hands  and  cried  : 

"It  is  indeed  you,  my  mother,  who  thus  watches 
over  and  protects  me.  I  see  it  all  now,  how  that  you 
have  interfered  to  save  me,  for  had  you  left  me  to  my- 
self, I  had  been  helpless  at  this  crisis." 

I  brushed  away  the  gathering  tears  and  resumed 
my  hurried  way. 

Neither  difficult  of  acceptance  nor  unpleasing 
is  the  belief,  that  those  who  loved  us  here 
are  still  permitted  to  regard  us  with  affectionate 
solicitude  after  the  insatiate  grave  has  claimed  them  ; 
and  whatever  the  doubts  which  have  come  to  me 
with  twenty  years  more  of  life,  certain  it  is,  that  at 
the  time,  I  believed  most  fervently  in  the  theory. 

I  found  Putnam  awaiting  me.  A  long  coat  of 
coarse,  dark  stuff  and  a  black  slouch  hat  had  been 
procured,  and  these  I  proceeded  quicklj''  to  don. 

"I  would  not  have  known  you,"  said  Putnam,  as 
he  assisted  me  in  dressing,  "had  I  not  anticipa'ed  the 
change  in  your  appearance.  I  think  there  can  be  no 
doubt  that  you  will  escape.  Leave  the  city  at  once 
and  make  directly  for  the  nearest  Confederate  lines. 


108  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

Try  and  'press'  a  horse,  better  not  trust  to  the  rail- 
road ;  and  now  farewell  and  ^ood  luck  attend  you." 

Only  a  fervent  pressure  of  the  hand  and  a  look 
straight  in  the  eye  (neither  devoid  of  eloquence),  and 
we  parted.  I  have  never  Feen  iiira  since,  nor  do  I 
even  know  if  he  be  still  alive,  but  I  have  neither  for- 
gotten his  exceeding  kindness,  nor  the  generous 
warmth  of  his  friendship. 

It  was  now  nearly  seven  o'clock. 

As  I  passed  out  into  the  passage  I  stuck  my  enor 
moiis  hat  well  back  upon  my  head,  and  assuming  an 
air  of  swaggering  self-sufficiency,  I  left  the 
building  and  mingled  boldly  with  the  men  outside. 

Dr.  Baldwin  passed  me,  and  sidling  up  to  him,  I 
whispered  my  name  and  my  farewell  in  his  ear.  He 
seemed  perplexed,  but  I  dared  not  venture  upon 
an  explanation,  and  I  Jeft  him,  not  even  wiiting  for 
his  parting  blessing,  which  otherwise  I  am  sure  would 
have  been  forthcoming.  I  now  sought  for  Watter- 
son,  whom  very  soon  I  found  surrounded  by  a  group 
of  his  friends.  I  had  my  doubts  about  joining  the 
group,  but  Watterson  set  at  once  the  question  at  rest 
by  calling  out : 
"  "Hello,  Jackson,  this  way." 

"Our  time  is  nearly  up,"  said  I.  "Good-evening, 
gents.''  The  men  bowed  and  echoed  my  salutation, 
but  none  seemed  to  recognize  me,  although  there 
were  those  present  whom  I  knew  and  who  knew  me 
well. 

"This  way  a  moment,"  said  Watterson,  leading  me 
to  a  little  distance.  "The  guard  at  the  gate  has  just 
been  changed,"  said  he  in  low  tones ;  "but  the  fellow 
relieved  still  lingers  there.  We  must  wait  until  he 
leaves,  or  we  must  get  him  away  by  some  means ;  do 
you  understand  ?" 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN   ROMxiNCE.  109 

*'Yes,"  I  answered,  "he  alone  knows  that  only  seven 
men  entered  the  yard." 

"  Exactly  ;  and  this  is  my  only  misgiving,  for  your 
disguise  is  perfect." 

"We  have  five  minutes  or  so,"  said  I,  "but  by  all 
that's  lucky,  we  do  not  need  them,  for  the  fellow  is 
already  moving  away." 

"  Good,"  said  Watterson,  glancing  toward  the  gate  ; 
"  now  I  will  rejoin  these  men,  and  as  soon  as  the  coast 
is  clear,  I  will  give  the  order  to  march." 

As  Watterson  left  me,  I  looked  once  more  eagerly 
towards  the  gate.  The  relieved  guard,  with  coat  un- 
buttoned, cap  in  hand  and  a  musket  trailing  behind 
him,  was  loi'ering  lazily  towards  us,  pausing  now  to 
exchange  a  word  with  an  acquaintance  ;  now  to  unfix 
his  bayonet  and  sheathe  it  at  his  side,  now  to  listlessly 
kick  at  a  pebble,  or  to  stretch  himself  and  gape.  "Will 
the  idle  fool  never  be  gone,"  I  muttered,  stamping 
the  earth  in  my  impatience,  and  longing  to  catch  him 
up  bodily  and  hurl  him  out  of  sight,  a  feat  which,  in 
the  intensity  of  my  impatience,  I  felt  as  though  I 
could  find  the  strength  to  accomplish.  "If  1  could 
but  get  behind  you  with  a  bayonet,"  I  thought.  But 
he  moved  no  faster  for  the  wish,  and  it  seemed  an  age 
before  he  dragged  himself  up  the  steps  and  disap- 
peared into  the  building.  Watterson  lost  no  time 
after  this.  The  six  men  who  had  accompanied 
him  were  already  at  hand,  and  after  a  hurried  farewell, 
in  which  1  joined  or  seemed  to  join,  we  marched  to- 
ward the  gate. 

What  a  war  of  emotions  waged  within  me  now. 
The  fear  of  discovery  made  my  heart  throb  fit  to  burst 
through  my  ribs,  and  fiercely  did  I  struggle  to  pre- 
serve the  appearance  of  calm.     Happily  for  me  this 


110  SAVED   BY   A    WOMAN; 

struggle  was  short-lived,  for  before  I  had  time  to 
think  twice  of  mj  situation  we  were  at  the  gate. 

"This  pass  is  made  out  for  nine  of  us,  as  you  will 
see,  sir,"  said  Watterson  to  the  sentinel,  "  but  one  of 
the  nine  left  us  before  we  got  here." 

The  fellow  took  the  pass  and  scanned  it  narrowly 
for  full  a  minute.  It  seemed  with  difficulty  that  he 
read  it  at  all,  but  at  length  as  if  satisfied,  he  slowly 
moved  toward  the  gate  and,  holding  it  open,  nodded 
for  us  to  pass  out. 

I  shall  not  attempt  to  describe  tlie  swelling  emo- 
tions of  my  heart  as  I  emerged  from. the  deep  arch- 
way of  the  prison-gate  and  heard  its  heavy  bang  as  it 
closed  behind  us.  The  very  madness  of  delight  seized 
upon  me,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  that  I  could  re- 
strain myself  from  bounding  away  at  the  top  of  my 
speed  and  crying  aloud>in  the  ecstasy  of  my  conscious 
freedom. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

For  all  his  youth  and  frivolous  gayety  of  manner, 
Watterson  possessed  a  cool  head  and  a  wise.  Be- 
fore we  had  yet  compassed  a  full  block  from  my  late 
prison,  he  recommended  that  we  should  part  company. 

''  If  by  any  evil  chance  your  escape  is  immediately 
discovered,"  said  he,  "you  will,  of  course,  be  sought  as 
one  of  this  compan3\  Let  us  say  farewell,  then,  or 
at  least  let  us  branch  off  by  twos  at  this  next  corner." 

The  wisdom  of  this  advice  being  self-apparent,  we 
acted  upon  it  at  once — Walterson  and  myself  making 
our  way  toward  the  "  St.  Clouds,"  and  the  others  scat- 
tering in  various  directions. 


Ill 

''Now,''  said  Watterson,  when  we  were  alone,  "so- 
far  so  good.  Those  fellows  are  all  true.  Not  one 
but  would  die  rather  than  betray  us.  For  the  present, 
then,  all  is  well ;  but  what  of  the  future — what  are 
your  plans  ?" 

"My  plans?"  said  I.  "  Except  that  I  have  a  vas^ue 
notion  of  joining  my  corps  as  soon  as  practicable, 
I  have  formed  no  plans.  I  tell  you,  man,  this 
glorious  consciousness  of  freedom  which  I  feel  is 
far  too  delightful  to  be  banished.  I  will  not  think 
now,  lest  I  break  the  spell.  Look  you,  Watterson, 
my  boy,  did  you  ever  feel  like  a  balloon — eh'^  What 
are  you  laughing  at?'' 

"  Well,  no,"  said  he,  chuckling  heartily;  "  I  cannot 
say  that  I  ever  have.  Nevertheless,  I  do  not  doubt 
that  you  do,  for  you  certainly  possess  at  least  two  of 
the  ingredients  which  should  produce  the  feeling." 

"Name  them,"  said  I ;  "what  are  they?" 

"  Elasticity,  for  one,"  said  he,  "for  you  walk  as  if 
there  were  springs  beneath  your  feet,  and  you  keep  me 
in  a  half  run  to  keep  up  with  you." 

"Well;  and  the  other?" 

"Gas,  because  you  are  remarkably  fluent  of  speech,^ 
and  there  is  nothing  in  what  you  say.  But  here  we 
are  at  the  St.  Clouds.     Hold  !  we  must  register." 

"  I  presume  we  must." 

"And  have  you  thought  of  an  alias  f* 

"No,  by  the  Lord,  I  have  not ;  but  lead  the  way; 
anything  will  do." 

Watterson  made  straight  for  the  desk  and  registered 
his  full  name,  after  which  I  took  the  pen  from  him 
and  wrote  off  boldly, 
•     "  Dick  Mays,  Gallatin,  Tenn." 

"  Come,  Dick,"  said  Watterson,  who  had  looked 
over  my  shoulder,    "  let  us  have  some  supper,''  then 


112  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

turning  to  the  sleek-headed  clerk,  he  continued:  ''My 
friend  and  I  will  spend  the  night.  Will  you  have  us 
shown  to  a  room?" 

The  clerk  touched  a  gong,  and  as  if  by  magic  a 
neatly  dressed  black  appeared.  "Twenty-two,"  said 
the  clerk,  throwing  him  a  key. 

The  fellow  grabbed  it  and  turned  to  us  with  a  low 
bow. 

"Baggage,  gentlemen,"  said  he. 

"None,"  said  Watterson. 

'•Yes,  sir;  this  way,  sir,  please,''  and  he  led  the  way 
upstairs. 

Once  in  our  room  and  the  servant  dismissed,  I 
turned  to  Watterson,  and  with  something  of  amaze- 
ment, asked  what  he  meant  by  saying  we  would  spend 
the  night  there. 

"Where  else  would -you  spend  it  ?"  said  he. 

"What!  shut  ourselves  up  here?" 

"JSot  at  all.  We  will  have  supper,  and  afterwards 
a  cigar  and  a  stroll.  We  will  follow  our  fancy,  or 
yours  rather,  and  amuse  ourselves  in  any  way  which 
pleases  you  ;  but  when  we  are  sleepy,  here  is  our  bed." 

"  The  devil,"  said  I  ;  "  to  be  recaptured  to-morrow 
and  shot  the  next  morning  at  sunrise  f*  I  confess  I 
like  not  the  notion." 

"What  would  you   do  then?"  said  Watterson. 

•^^  I — I  would  leave  this  ;  I  would  fly  ;  I  would —  " 

"When,  how,  and  whither,  pray?" 

"  Well,"  said  1,  somewhat  crest-fallen,  "  I  have  not 
thought  of  that.     I  presume  I  must  trust  to  luck." 

"  A  very  poor  dependence,  let  me  observe,  if  you 
adhere  to  your  resolution  and  refuse  to  think,  for 
what  is  luck  but  the  fiuit  of  cool,  deliberate  calcula- 
tion— of   energy  and  tact?     Employ   these,   and  be 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN   EOMANCE.  113 

guided  by  the  result,  or  listen  to  my  advice  and  fol- 
low it." 

"Go  on,"  I  said,  "the  cooler  the  head  the  better  the 
judgment." 

"Then  listen.  Your  escape,  if  not  already  known, 
cannot  long  remain  a  secret,  this  you  must  admit; 
very  well.  Once  known,  extraordinary  precautions 
will  be  immediately  taken  to  prevent  your  leaving  the 
city,  but  notwithstanding  these  precautions,  when 
morning  comes  and  you  are  not  retaken,  ninety-nine 
men  out  of  every  hundred  will  believe  that  you  have 
outwitted  them  all  and  left  the  city.  This  belief  will 
cause  them  to  relax  their  vigilance,  orders  from  head- 
quarters to  the  contrary  notwithstanding ;  do  you 
follow  me  V 

"But  to-night,"  said  I;  "they  will  search  every  hole 
and  corner  of  the  city." 

"Every  hole  and  corner  in  the  outshirts  of  the 
city,"  returned  Watterson,  "but  not  in  the  very  heart 
of  it ;  and  least  of  all  here^  where  fifty  officers  take 
their  meals  daily,  and  half  that  number  regularly 
board." 

"By  heaven,"  exclaimed  I,  jumping  up — "friend 
Watterson,  you  have  made  me  bolder  than  I  am  wont. 
But  after  all,"  continued  I,  reflecting,  "perhaps  it  is 
this  very  boldness  which  you  believe  will  constitute 
my  safety.  A  man  in  my  position,  however,  never 
feels  safe  unless  he  is  on  the  go." 

"Forgetting  all  the  while,"  said  Watterson,  "that 
he  is  making  tracks  by  which  he  may  be  followed. 
But  I  have  not  yet  finished,  this  only  brings  us  to  to- 
morrow morning." 

"Exactly  ;  say  that  I  am  not  facing  a  platoon  when 
the  sun  rises,  what  then  ?" 

"This,"  said  he.     "By  the  luckiest  chance  in  the 


114  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

world,  I  have  here  a  pass  to  Wartrace,  Tennessee,  for 
myself  and  a  friend.  This  friend  is  to  meet  me  at 
the  train  leaving  the  city  at  eight  o'clock  in  the 
morning ;  but  as  he  has  nothing  to  fear  in  remaining 
here,  he  will  readily  consent  to  lending  you  his  name 
and  giving  you  his  seat  in  the  coach.  I  am  sure  he 
will  not  hesitate  to  do  this ;  but  even  if  he  should, 
you  can  still  be  off,  for  in  that  event  you  can  travel 
as  Willie  Watterson.  And  now  that  all  is  settled," 
continued  he,  giving  me  a  friendly  slap  on  the  back, 
"let  us  hurry  down  to  supper  before  those  Yankees 
bankrupt  the  larder.     Listen  to  their  noisy  clamor.'' 

Watterson  threw  wide  the  door  as  he  finished  speak- 
ing, and  we  descended  to  the  supper  room.  Here  we 
found  seated  at  the  various  tables  at  least  a  couple  of 
dozen  officers  of  every  rank  and  arm  of  the  service, 
who  were  laughing  and  jesting  at  a  high  rate  of  en- 
joyment. By  a  happy  chance  a  waiter  led  us  to  a 
small  side  table  where,  seated  with  my  back  to  the 
company,  I  enjoyed  a  hearty  meal ;  the  peril  of  my 
situation   giving  an  indescribable  zest  to  my  appetite. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Those  who  are  pleased  to  follow  me  in  these  con- 
fessions  will  probably  not  complain  if  I  but  glance  at 
the  events  of  my  first  night  out  of  prison. 

In  common  parlance,  Watterson  and  I  "made  a 
night  of  it,"  and  if  this  hackneyed  phrase  be  capable 
of  many  constructions,  their  number  could  scarcely 
exceed  the  variety  of  the  feints  we  made  at  enjoy- 
ment. With  fool-hardy  daring  we  ventured  into 
highways  and  byways,  into  saloons  and  billiard  rooms, 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  115 

into  cafes  and  public  reading-rooms,  and  everj'where 
our  loud  talk  and  noisy  laughter  drew  special  atten- 
tion to  us.  We  had  reason  enough,  heaven  knows, 
to  pursue  the  very  reverse  of  this  conduct,  but  had 
we  listened  to  prudence  our  pleasure  had  vanished, 
for  it  was  in  the  indulgence  of  this  same  dare-devil 
spirit  that  we  found  our  chief  enjoyment.  Youth,  in 
all  the  pride  of  its  conscious  strength  and  courage,  is 
seldom  so  happy  as  when  sparring  with  danger.  TJie  in- 
born love  of  adventure,  possessed  by  us  all  in  a  greater 
or  less  degree,  lures  us  on  to  grapple  with  peril,  merely 
for  the  sake  of  the  enjoyable  excitement  afforded  by 
the  struggle. 

Compared  with  this  favorite  sport  of  the  young  and 
adventurous,  the  fascinations  of  the  gaming  table  are 
as  nothing.  On  the  one  hand  we  stake  our  gold,  and 
to  lose  means  only  to  cripple  our  fortunes;  while  on 
the  other  we  stake  our  lives,  and  to  lose  means—- 
death.  For  these  reasons  then,  and  not  in  the  exer- 
cise of  any  profound  art  of  strategy,  did  Watterson 
and  I  recklessly  and  in  many  ways  expose  ourselves 
to  momentary  detection,  and  for  these  reasons  also, 
do  I  look  upon  this  night  as  one  of  the  most  intensely 
enjoyable  of  my  life. 

Shake  your  venerable  heads,  ye  sage  old  gentlemen; 
pucker  your  lips  and  frown  to  your  hearts'  content ; 
but  when  you  have  done,glance  backward  for  a  ruoment 
upon  the  season  of  jonr  own  youth,  and  if  you  must 
pronounce  us  young  fools,  you  will  at  least  forgive, 
for  I  warrant  me  you  will  find  something  in  the  retro- 
spect to  plead  for  us. 

The  business  of  the  night,  which  was  to  furnish 
myself  with  a  much  needed  suit  of  clothes  and  a  pair 
of  boots,  was  soon  concluded.  A  few  steps  from  the 
"St.  Clouds"  brought  us  to  Church  street,  and  once 


116  SxWED   BY   A   woman; 

here  we  were  not  long  in  finding  a  boot  and  shoe 
Btore. 

"Hold  a  moment,"  said  Watterson,  as  we  entered 
the  latter,  "let  me  put  a  flea  in  the  clerk's  ear;"  and 
so  sajing  he  left  me  and  stepped  forward  to  where  a 
young  man  lay  at  full  length  upon  the  counter.  As 
Watterson  approached,  he  raised  himself  into  a  sitting 
posture,  and  looked  suspiciously  from  one  to  the  other 
of  us. 

"You  have  nothing  to  fear,  sir,"  I  heard  Watterson 
say,  as  he  reached  him,  and  after  this  followed  a  brief 
half  whispered  colloquy.  Whatever  the  words,  their 
effect  upon  the  clerk  was  magical.  Uttering  a  hurried 
"  eh  V  he  sprang  from  the  counter  and  approached 
me  at  a  half  run. 

"  Certainly,  sir,  certainly,"  said  he,  "  with  the  great- 
est pleasure,"  and  reaching  me  he  grasped  my  hand, 
which  he  shook  warmly,  and  continued,  "  proud  to 
meet  you,  sir,  honored  sir,  and  you  want — why  cer- 
tainly, sir,  step  this  way — with  the  greatest  pleasure, 
I  do  assure  you." 

I  was  not  a  little  surprised  by  these  manifestations 
of  kindly  interest  vouchsafed  me  by  one  whom  I  had 
never  met  before,  but  attributing  it  all  to  the  effect  of 
Watterson's  "  flea,"  I  followed  the  clerk  to  the  rear 
of  the  establishment. 

"Now,  sir,"  said  the  clerk,  removing  the  lid  from 
a  box  filled  with  cavalry  boots — "  now,  sir,  here  you 
are — help  yourself." 

Thanking  him,  I  selected  a  pair  of  number  sevens 
and  drew  them  on,  after  discarding  my  well  worn 
"brogans." 

"How  much,  sir,"  I  asked, surveying  my  feet  with 
something  of  pride. 

"  Oh,  nothing,  nothing  at  all,  sir,  I  wouldn't  think 


OR,   THE   HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  117 

of  charging  you — wouldn't  think  of  it.  Wish  I  could 
do  more  for  you,  sir,  do  indeed.  Hope  you  will  get 
safely  away  from  these  Yankees,  sir — damn  'em." 

"How,''  said  I,  ''so  then  my  friend  yonder  has 
been  telling  tales  out  of  school.  But,"  I  continued, 
"  I  have  no  apprehensions  on  the  score  of  either  your 
fidelity  or  your  prudence,  sir,  and  now  allow  me  to 
thank  you  heartily,  and  bid  you  good  evening.'' 

"  What  in  heaven's  name  did  3'ou  tell  the  fellow," 
I  asked  of  Watterson,  as  soon  as  we  had  left  the  place. 

"  Oh,''  said  he,  laughing  heartily,  "  only  that  you 
were  a  confederate  ofiicer,  high  in  rank,  and  that  you 
were  here  on  a  most  important  and  perilous  service; 
that  you  were  short  of  means,  and  that  you  very 
much  needed  a  pair  of  boots;  that  is  all.'' 

"  A  very  good  joke,"  said  I,  "  but,  my  dear  fellow, 
is  there  not  a  dash  of  imprudence  in  it?" 

"Kot  at  all,"  said  he,  "I  knew  the  fellow's  senti- 
ments." 

l^ext  we  entered  a  clothing  house,  where  Watterson 
repeated  his  strategy — if  so  it  may  be  called — with 
equal  success,  and  I  soon  found  myself  fitted  out, 
"from  top  to  toe,''  in  a  new,  and  what  appeared  to 
me  (more  perhaps  from  contrast),  a  rich  and  handsome 
suit.  To  the  man  who  possesses  a  very  nice  sense  of 
gentility,  a  rent  in  his  garment  is  a  direct  and  severe 
wound  to  his  self-esteem  ;  a  patch  upon  his  boot  is 
no  less  a  scar  upon  his  respectability,  and  never,  unless 
he  be  faultlessly  dressed,  does  he  feel  in  its  fullest  and 
grandest  sense,  the  proud  consciousness  of  the  posses- 
sion of  all  those  ennobling  attributes  embodied  in  the 
one  word  of  "gentleman."  Nay,  I  may  even  go 
farther,  and  assert  that  a  heart  like  this,  if  covered  by 
a  ragged  coat,  cannot  feel  its  full  competence  of 
courage. 


118  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

"  I  feel  myself  in  every  reapect  twice  the  man  of  a 
moment  ago,''  said  I  to  Watterson,  as  I  stepped  out 
of  the  store  arrayed  in  my  shining  apparel.  "As  I 
cast  aside  my  worn  and  faded  garments  I  felt  as  if  the 
act  relieved  me  of  a  burden  of  humilintion,  almost  of 
shame,  and  as  I  drew  on  these,  as  if  I  clothed  myself 
once  more  in  my  natural  pride  and  self-respect.  Aye," 
I  continued,  as  drawing  myself  up,  I  stepped  out 
more  boldly  ;  "pride  and  self-respect,  the  twin  brothers 
which  stand  ever  in  the  vanguard  of  all  the  higher 
qualities  of  manhood.'' 

''Excuse  me,"  said  "Watterson,  "but  are  you  rich, 
are  you  a  prince  in  disguise,  have  you  great  expecta- 
tions, or  have  you  ever  stormed  a  battery  single- 
handed?  No?  then  what  the  devil  have  you  to  be 
proud  of  ?'' 

"  Excuse  me,''  said  I,  catching  his  meaning  and  not 
half  liking  it;  "  I  speak  not  of  the  pride  which  is 
puppyism;  nor  by  'self-respect'  do  I  mean  that  cov- 
etous self-love  which  in  my  esteem  is  the  very  basest 
of  all  sordid  qualities.  I  speak  only  of  that  pride 
which  glows  in  a  man's  heart,  like  the  embers  on  the 
hearth,  kindling  noble  emotions  and  warming  gener- 
ous aspirations ;  of  the  lire  of  pride,  which  is  his 
servant  and  not  of  the  flame  which,  bursting  forth, 
defies  all  his  efforts  at  control,  becomes  itself  the  mas- 
ter, and  consumes  all  that  is  highest  and  noblest  in  his 
nature.  And  as  to  self-respect,  it  is  only  another  con- 
dition of  this  same  pride,  and  unlike  it  in  nothing  so 
much,  as  that  we  need  never  fear  the  possession  of  too 
much  of  it.  It  is  even  the  nobler  quality  of  the  two, 
holding  as  it  does  a  perpetual  barrier  of  shame  be- 
tween us  and  every  mean  or  ignoble  action,  and  cre- 
ating within  us  a  wholesome  love  for  all  that  is  gener- 
ous and  excellent  in  life.     Believe  me,  my  friend,  in 


OR,   THE   HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  119 

exactly  the  same  proportion  that  we  respect  ourselves, 
do  we  hold  in  respect  all  that  is  noble  and  ^ood." 

"You  grow  strangely  warm  of  your  theme,"  said  Wat- 
icrson  ;  "I  was  only  jesting  in  what  I  said.  Let  us  step 
in  here,"  continued  he,  as  we  came  abreast  a  restau- 
rant— come  ;  we  will  have  a  sociable  glass  together 
and  you  will  forget  my  hasty  insinuations." 

I  consented  and  followed  him  in  ;  and  here  the 
* 'glance"  must  end  ;  for  modest  eyes  should  never 
pierce  beyond  the  screen  which  shuts  off  the  view  of 
a  bar. 

Thus  then,  and  in  this  spirit,  did  we  begin  our 
night  of  imprudent  revelry.  *  ■»  *  -^^  * 
At  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  much  worn  and 
jaded,  we  gained  our  hotel.  A  party  of  six  or  eight, 
all  wearing  the  federal  blue,  were  lounging  about  the 
ante-room,  some  preparing  for  bed,  others  reading, 
and  a  few  writing;  and  as  we  passed  up  to  the  coun- 
ter for  a  candle  and  the  key  to  our  bed-room,  I 
caught  some  fragments  of  their  conversation,  which  I 
soon  found  concerned  myself  most  vitally. 

"What  did  you  say  the  reward  was?"  asked  one. 

"Two  fifty,"  replied  an  ofiicer  in  undress  uniform, 
as  he  stretched  himself  and  yawned. 

"But  how  the  devil  did  he  escape?"  asked  another. 

"Walked  leisurely  out  with  some  visitors  who  had 
a  pass,"  continued  the  officer;  "the  fellow  is  bold 
enough  at  any  rate." 

"And  you  say  old  'Marchbanks'  betrayed  him,  did 
he?" 

"So  I  learn.  It  seems  the  judge  had  in  a  moment 
of  generosity  given  him  twenty  dollars  to  aid  his 
escape,  but  soon  regretting  it  (most  likely  through 
respect  for  his  own  neck),  he  determined  to  out  with 
the  whole  business." 


120  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

"And  80  be  peached  ?" 

"Not  for  two  hours  or  more  after  the  fellow  had 
gone ;  for  one  of  the  latter'8  friends  got  wind  of  the 
judge's  intention,  and  enticing  him  into  a  room  on 
some  pretense  or  other,  he  locked  the  door  and  threw 
the  key  out  of  the  window." 

"No !"  said  several  in  a  breath,  "and  bow  did  the 
pompous  old  rascal  stand  that?" 

"Oh,"  said  the  officer,  "there  was  nothing  for  it  but 
to  submit,  for  all  he  fumed  and  swore  beneath  his 
breath ;  for  Putnam,  his  captor,  is  a  giant  in  size  and 
he  swore  he'd  break  every  bone  in  the  judge's  body 
if  he  spoke  a  word  above  a  whisper  for  two  hours  by 
the  clock." 

A  roar  of  laughter  followed  this   anecdote,  in  the 

midst  of  which  Watterson  and  I  made  our  escape. 
*         *  *    ,     -x-  *  ■»  * 

Many  were  the  thoughts  which  crowded  upon  me 
as  I  lay  awake  that  night  beside  my  sleeping  companion, 
and  many  were  the  emotions  born  of  them.  1  was  still 
awake  when  the  clock  struck  four,  but  soon  there- 
after exhausted  nature  claimed  her  prerogative  and 
gradually  I  fell  into  a  deep  slumber. 

Note  to  chapter  xyiii. — The  incident  reco.rded  in 
the  latter  portion  of  this  chapter,  in  which  "Judge 
Marchbanks"  plays,  if  not  an  ignoble  at  least  a  doubtful 
part,  was  given  to  the  author  in  all  good  faith  2LQfact. 
The  author  however,  whose  age  did  not  exceed  a  half 
dozen  years  at  the  time  the  incident  occurred,  (if  it 
did  occur)  and  who  therefore  has  no  personal  knowl- 
edge concerning  it,  desires  to  give  to  the  public  so 
much  of  it  as  concerns  Judge  Marchbanks  as  "mere 
rumor."  Author. 


OR,   THE   HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  121 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


A  lond  knocking  awoke  me,  and  rousing  myself 
with  a  great  effort  I  sung  out,  "Helloa !" 

"Seb  ner  'clock,  sir,"  said  a  voice  without. 

"Seven  o'clock  already  ?  and  what  time  does  the 
train  leave  for  Wartrace?" 

"Zactly  at  eight,  sir." 

"Then  we  haven't  much  time.  Prepare  breakfast 
for  two  in  fifteen  minutes." 

"All  right,  sir." 

I  awoke  Watterson  at  once,  and  making  a  hasty 
toilet  we  descended  to  breakfast.  We  were  not  long 
here,  for  although  the  meal  was  excellent,  neither  of 
us  could  eat.  We  drank  some  ice-water  with  mighty 
relish  and  eyed  each  other  askance. 

"What  is  k?"  said  I. 

"Me  ?  oh,  nothing,"  said  Watterson. 

I  sipped  my  coffee  lazily,  but  it  did  not  suit  my 
taste  and  I  tried  another  gla83  of  water.  Watterson 
followed  my  example.  He  was  a  thought  more 
nervous  than  I,  however,  and  he  did  exactly  what  it 
had  cost  me  a  tremendous  effort  myself  to  avoid — he 
spilt  half  his  coffee  on  the  cloth.  "Curse  the  luck," 
he  muttered,  looking  at  me  strangely,  almost  plead- 
ingly. 

"How  now,"  said  I. 

"I  was  thinking,"  said  he. 

"And  so  was  I." 

"Good,"  said  he,  rubbing  his  palms  together  eager- 
ly ;  "not  too  strong,  you  know,  but  long  and  with  a 
dash  of  sugar  in  it." 


122  SAVED   BY   A    WOMAN; 

"Wouldn't  seltzer  be  better  than  water?" 

♦'I  think  it  would." 

We  beckoned  to  the  waiter  and  gave  him  our  order, 
and  while  he  was  gone  I  indulged  in  a  bit  of  moral- 
izing. 

»  "A  fellow  not  only  spends  all  of  his  money  in  a 
night  of  debauch,"  said  I,  my  heart  sinking  at  the 
thought  of  the  insignificant  balance  in  my  pocket ; 
"but  he  throws  away  his  appetite  along  with  it." 

"And  buys  himself  a  nasty  headache,"  said  Watter- 
eon,  claeping  his  forehead  and  groaning. 

''Never  mind,"  said  I  with  a  laugh,  "here  comes 
the  waiter  with  the  'hair  of  the  dog.' " 

"I  need  it,"  said  the  other,  "for  I've  been  badly 
bitten." 

No  sooner  had  we  swallowed  our  liquor  than  Wat- 
terson  declared  his  head  was  already  better,  and  in- 
deed I  felt  an  instantaneous  improvement  in  my  own 
feelings.  By  mutual  consent  we  now  arose,  and  leav- 
ing our  untasted  breakfast,  hurried  to  the  office.  Ar- 
riving here  we  paid  our  score  and  bidding  farewell  to 
the  sleek-headed  clerk,  took  our  departure  for  the 
train.  On  our  way  thither  wb  amused  ourselves  by  ad- 
miring and  commenting  upon  the  many  magnificent 
dwellings  which  we  passed,  and  which,  despite  the 
presence  of  war,  looked  peaceful  and  tranquil  in  the 
calm  of  the  morning.  A  very  tender  chord  in  our 
hearts  was  touched  as  we  gazed  upon  these  pictures, 
every  tint  and  feature  of  which  recalled  something  of 
our  own  deserted  homes. 

"Look,  Watterson,  at  this,"  said  I,  as  we  came 
abreast  a  handsome  dwelling  shrouded  by  tall  oaks, 
and  a  smaller  growth  of  evergreens  ;  "  is  there  not 
something  more  than  beautiful  there?     Do  you  not 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  123 

feel  a  sense  of  tranquil  happiness  steal  over  you  as 
you  look  upon  such  a  picture  as  this?" 

"  It  is  a  lovely  spot,"  said  he,  pausing  to  admire  the 
place  ;  "  you  perceive  that  Nature  is  the  gardener  here, 
for,  except  that  trimmed  hedge  of  box  which  lines  the 
long  gravel  walk  leading  to  the  house,  the  garden  is 
untouched  by  the  hand  of  man.  There  is  no  trim 
propriety  here,  none  of  that  fastidious  neatness  which 
smacks  of  a  prude  indoors.  What  a  wealth  of  vege- 
tation, what  a  tangled  mass  of  leafy  beauty.  Both 
beautiful  and  natural,"  continued  he,  musing,  "  how 
rare  the  combination,  and  yet,  in  this  instance,  how 
exactly  in  keeping  with  the  mistress." 

"Ha,"  said  I,  "you  know  who  dwells  here,  then?" 

"Know  her?  Who  does  not  know  Mrs.  Nickol- 
son  ?" 

"Mrs.  Nickolson  !"  I  exclaimed,  "and  is  this  her 
residence  ?" 

"  Ask  that  driver,''  said  he,  pointing  toward  a  car- 
riage which  at  that  moment  stopped  at  the  gate, 

"  It  is  of  no  use,"  said  I,  "  for  I  know  the  equipage. 
And  so  you  know  her,  Watterson  ?" 

"That  do  I,  man,  but  let  us  hasten  on,  I  fear  even 
now  we  are  late." 

"  Must  we  go,  then  ;  can  we  not  wait  to  see  her  as 
she  takes  her  carriage  ?" 

"  We  will  be  too  late,"  said  he,  looking  at  his  watch. 
"It  is  already  ten  minutes  to  eight." 

Although  forced  by  circumstances  to  leave  the  spot, 
I  looked  back  yearningly  towards  it  at  every  few 
paces,  and  it  was  not  until  we  had  turned  a  corner, 
shutting  o£E  the  view,  that  I  could  completely  master 
my  hesitation  and  resign  the  half-formed  idea  of  turn- 
ing back.  In  recalling  this  hesitancy  of  manner,  and 
this  constant  looking  behind  me,  I  cannot  help  think- 


124  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

ing  how  small  and  apparently  insignificant  are  the 
events  wliich  sometimes  shape  the  entire  course  of  our 
lives.  For  instance,  had  we  not  paused  to  admire  this 
beautiful  home,  and  had  1  not  in  doing  so  gained  the 
kno\\  ledge  of  its  being  Mrs.  Nickolson's,  or  had  I^ 
even  after  acquiring  this  knowledge,  passed  on  with- 
out taking  special  notice  of  it,  nor  marked  well  the 
way  which  led  to  it,  in  all  human  probability  1  had 
not  lived  to  chronicle  these  events.  Wherefore,  and 
in  what  wise  will  soon  appear.  We  walked  briskly 
for  a  couple  of  squares,  and  turning  a  corner  came 
full  upon  the  depot. 

"Here  we  are  with  four  minutes  to  spare,"  cried 
Watterson,  as  we  gained  the  entrance  to  the  depot ; 
"Wait  here  for  me,  while  I  run  across  the  street  and 
get  a  cigar." 

I  bought  the  morning's  paper  from  a  newsboy,  and 
leaning  against  the  side  of  the  great  building  I  began 
to  glance  at  the  headings.  I  had  scarcely  opened  the 
sheet,  however,  when  I  felt  a  touch  upon  my  arm,  and 
immediately  a  suppressed  voice  said  in  my  ear  : 

"Don't  look  up  from  your  paper,  don't  utter  a 
word,  but  listen.  If  you  board  that  train  you  are  lost. 
You  must  leave  this,  but  not  too  suddenly.  Hist,  you 
mu3t  seefn  to  transact  some  business,  and  do  it  openl3\ 
Draw  on  your  ingenuity,  and  luck  to  you.  Don't 
hesitate,  do  as  I  say,  I  am  Brown,  your  room-mate, 
good-bye." 

I  did  not  move  a  muscle,  nor  did  I  once  raise  my 
eyes  from  the  paper.  The  printed  words  swam  before 
me  and  my  heart  beat  against  my  Eide  furiously,  but 
not  from  fear.  1  became  possessed,  rather,  of  that 
exultant  excitement  which  accompanies  a  sense  of 
abundant  strength  and  courage,  and  as  rapidly  as  the 
warning  was  given  I  found  time  while  listening  to  it 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  125 

to  resolve  that  1  would  die  sooner  than  again  become 
a  prisoner.  In  this  spirit  I  folded  the  paper  leisurely, 
and  muttering  something  about  the  dearth  of  news  pro- 
ceeded to  elbow  my  way  through  the  crowd  toward 
the  ticket  office.  By  dint  of  a  determined  will,  ma- 
terially assisted  by  a  pair  of  stout  shoulders,  I  soon 
arrived  within  six  or  eight  feet  of  the  window,  and 
this  being  near  enough  for  my  purpose,  I  inquired  of 
the  agent  in  rather  a  loud  voice  at  what  hour  the  train 
from  Shelbyville  would  arrive. 

"Nine  thirty,"  said  he. 

"  What,"  said  I,  with  a  well  feigned  gesture  of  im- 
patience, "  they  told  me  it  was  eight  thirty.  Con- 
found their  stupidity,"  I  continued,  in  a  lower  voice, 
as  I  began  to  edge  my  way  out  of  the  crowd,  "I  sup- 
pose there  is  nothing  for  it  but  to  make  my  way  back 
to  the  hotel." 

By  this  time  I  had  reached  a  side  door,  through 
which  I  passed,  and  without  pausing  to  consider  what 
route  I  should  take,  I  began  instinctively  to  retrace 
my  steps  toward  the  "  St.  Clouds."  I  pursued  my 
way  leisurely  for  some  moments,  and  not  until  I  had 
turned  the  rirst  corner,  and  lost  completely  the  view 
of  the  depot,  did  I  quicken  my  pace.  A  few  mo- 
ments' walk  brought  me  in  sight  of  'Mrs.  Nickolson's 
residence,  and  I  saw  with  much  delight  that  the  car- 
riage still  stood  at  the  gate.  "  That  means  she  is  still 
at  home,"  I  thought,  and  without  inquiring  why,  I 
felt  this  to  be  a  most  fortunate  circumstance.  Follow- 
ing the  same  impulse  that  had  guided  me  up  to  this 
moment,  I  crossed  over  the  street  and  reached  the 
gate.  The  driver  touched  his  hat  as  I  essayed  to  open 
it. 

"  This  is  Mrs.  Nickolson's  V     I  asked. 

"  Yes,  sir." 


126  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

"  And  8he  is  at  home  ? '' 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Thank  jou,''  said  I,  and  without  waiting  to  learn 
more,  1  walked  boldly  through  the  gate  and  rapidly 
up  the  graveled  walk  leading  to  the  house. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Mrs.  Nickolson  in  person  met  me  at  the  door,  and 
recognizing  me  at  once,  she  started  and  turned  pale. 

"  Rash  boy,"  she  said,  half  below  her  breath,  "  and 
is  this  the  only  disguise  you  have  worn  since  your 
escape?"  She  passed  me  hurriedly  aud  closed  the 
front  door,  then  opening  another  which  led  into  a 
sitting  room,  she  motioned  me  to  enter.  Following 
me  in,  she  immediately  closed  the  door,  and  seating 
herself  upon  a  sofa,  beckoned  me  to  sit  at  her  side. 
I  obeyed,  and  was  about  to  speak,  but  she  raised  her 
hand  in  token  of  silence. 

"  Wait,"  she  said,  "  let  me  think,"  and  leaning  for- 
ward she  clasped  her  forehead  in  both  hands,  and  with 
closed  eyes,  sat  motionless  and  silent  for  full  a  moment. 
I  watched  her  closely  during  this  time  with  increasing 
surprise  and  even  alarm,  for  I  perceived  that  she  was 
greatly  excited.  Her  breath  came  quickly  and  her 
bosom  heaved  in  rapid  concert.  I  was  about  to  ex- 
press my  uneasiness  concerning  her  when,  with  a 
sudden  and  single  motion,  she  sprang  to  her  feet  and 
began  to  walk  rapidly  to  and  fro.  Still  more  alarmed, 
I  arose  also  and  looked  hurriedly  around  me  for  a 
bell  rope,  with  the  half-formed  idea  of  ringing  for  a 
servant ;  but  divining  my  intention,  she  approached 
me,  and  laying  her  hand  upon  my  arm,  begged  that 
I  would  resume  my  seat. 


OR   THE   HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  127 

"I  am  not  well  to-day,"  she  said,  dropping  heavily 
upon  the  sofa;  "I  have  lost  much  rest  of  late,  and 
my  nerves  are  all  unstrung.  But  I  am  better  and 
stronger  now,''  she  continued,  as  several  times  she 
passed  her  hand  rapidly  over  her  forehead,  as  if  to 
brush  away  that  which  distressed  her  ;  "  and  now,  tell 
me  of  yourself.  Where  did  you  spend  the  night ; 
why  are  you  not  miles  away  ;  and  lastly,  why  are  you 

"  You  have  heard  in  what  manner  I  escaped,  mad- 
am ?"  I  began. 

"Yes,"  she  said,  "I  have  heard  it  all  up  to  the 
time  you  were  betrayed." 

"Ha,"  I  exclaimed,  "  that  story  is  true  then  ?" 

'•'  I  can  scarcely  believe  it,"  said  she,  thoughtfully, 
"  but  after  all  I  have  heard,  I  am  forced  to  do  so 
against  my  will,  but  go  on,  go  on." 

In  as  few  words  as  possible,  I  now  acquainted  her 
with  all  that  had  befallen  me  from  the  time  of  my 
escape  to  the  moment  of  entering  her  house,  and  fin- 
ished by  imploring  her  to  tell  me  frankly  whether  my 
presence  there  had  caused  the  alarm  which  she  evi- 
dently felt.  "  I  beseech  you  to  tell  me  this,  madam," 
I  said,  "and  if  it  be  as  I  fear,  you  must  allow  me  to 
take  my  immediate  departure.  I  should  never  for- 
give myself  " — 

"No,  no,"  she  said,  interrupting  me,  "I  am  abun- 
dantly  repaid  for  any  momentary  uneasiness  your 
presence  may  have  caused  me  in  knowing  that  you 
are  still  safe  ;  but  do  you  know  that  a  reward  has 
been  offered  for  your  apprehension  ;  that  the  city 
swarms  with  patrol  who  are  hunting  you  down ;  and 
worst  of  all,  that  Douglass  is  pursuing  you  with  a 
vindictiveness,  nothing  short  of  demon-like?     It  is 


128  SAVED    BY    A   WOMAN; 

he  whom  I  fear  more  than  all  the  rest.  Such  hate  as 
his  is  far-sighted,  unwearying  and  subtle,  and  he  will 
hound  you  to  the  very  ends  of  the  earth  if  he  but 
find  your  track.  Not  twenty  minutes  ago,  he  passed 
this  house,  and  although  he  scarcely  seemed  to  take 
special  notice  of  it,  yet  he  did  look  toward  it,  and  I 
caught  the  look  in  his  eye.  It  was  wild,  haggard  and 
vengeful,  and  I  could  not  but  think  that  he  suspected 
me  of  harboring  you.  Your  coming  so  soon  after 
this  will  explain  my  sudden  weakness,  but  that  is 
past." 

In  my  surprise  at  this  intelligence  I  was  again  upon 
the  point  of  speaking,  but  she  quickly  stopped  me. 

"  This  is  a  time  for  action — not  for  words,''  she 
said,  "come  with  me." 

She  opened  a  side  door  as  she  spoke  and  led  me 
into  a  library. 

"ISTow,"  she  continued,  "you  must  remain  here 
for  half  an  hour.  If,  while  I  am  away,  a  lady  comes 
to  keep  you  company,  you  may  trust  her  implicitly, 
she  is  one  of  the  society  and  will  tell  you  what  to  do, 
in  case  any  one  else  calls.  For  half  an  hour,  then, 
good-bye  ;  but  stay,  are  you  armed  ?" 

"  No,  madam,"  I  answered  ;  "  unhappily,  I  am  not.'' 

"Then,  here,"  she  said,  taking  a  Colt's  six-shooter 
from  behind  a  picture  on  the  mantel  and  handing  it 
to  me  ;  "preserve  your  life,  but  remember,  thou  shalt 
do  no  murder y 

I  kissed  the  hand  which  held  it,  while  I  possessed 
myself  of  the  weapon,  and  as  I  released  it  she  hurried 
from  the  room. 

I  now  began  to  examine  my  prize  with  much  pride 
and  interest,  and  to  wonder  whether  half  a  dozen  of 
the  enemy  could  capture  me  while  I  held  it.  "A  trusty 
weapon,"  I  muttered,    trying   the   lock   and    admir- 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  129 

ing  the  mechanism  ;  "  six  chambers,  which,  if  none 
han^  fire,  means  six  lives  between  me  and  captivity. 
Now,  indeed,  is  there  a  chance  for  me." 

I  was  still  admiring  my  treasure  when  the  door 
opened  and  a  lady  entered.  This  was  she  of  whom 
Mrs.  Nickoleon  had  spoken.  Her  name  I  have  com- 
pletely forgotten,  if,  indeed,  I  ever  heard  it;  but  I 
remember  well  that  she  was  strikingly  handsome  and 
that  her  manners  were  most  engaging.  In  her  com- 
pany time  flew  rapidly,  and  I  had  scarcely  missed  my 
benefactress  ere  she  returned.  She  bustled  into  the 
room  with  an  armful  of  bundles,  and  I  perceived  at 
once  that  she  had  regained  her  accustomed  buoyancy 
of  spirits. 

"  You  see  1  am  back  already,"  said  she,  dropping 
into  a  seat  at  my  side,  "and  better  still,  I  have  ar- 
ranged everything.  I  have  seen  Roberts,  who  will  be 
waiting  for  us  in  fifteen  minutes,  and  I  have  here  eve- 
rything you  require.  Now,  first,  here  are  some  car- 
tridges for  your  pistol,  and  here  is  a  duster  (which 
you  can  wear  over  your  coat,  you  know),  and  this  is  a 
hat.  I  don't  like  the  hat  you  wear ;  it  is  of  unusual 
shape  and  may  excite  remark  ;  and  this  is  a  piece  of 
chalk.  You  smile,  but  I  have  not  told  you,  you  are 
to  play  sick.  Here,  come  to  tins  glass  and  chalk  your 
face  well ;  preserve  what  is  left,  for  you  may  need  it 
again.  Now,  look  as  sick  as  ever  you  can  ;  rumple 
your  hair — it  is  too  smooth  by  far  ;  a  sick  man  never 
wears  his  hair  like  that.  Pull  it  down  on  your  fore- 
head— 30.  Now,  that  expression  again — are  yau  sure 
you  can  put  it  on  at  will?  You  had  better  practice  it 
before  the  glass;  there,  you  have  it  now  to  perfection. 
Put  on  your  duster  now  ;  let  me  hold  it  for  you  ;  and 
the  hat;  that's  it,  now  come,  we  must  be  off.'' 

I  was  indeed  a  miserable  looking  object,  as  with  one 
9 


130  SAVED   BY   A    WOMAN; 

of  the  ladies  supporting(?)  me  on  either  side,  I  walked 
slowly  and  laboriously  frora  the  house  and  took  my 
way  toward  the  waiting  carriage.  As  we  reached  the 
gate  I  heard  the  sound  of  approaching  footsteps  and 
the  clanking  of  sabres,  and  at  the  same  instant  I  felt  a 
sudden  pressure  upon  my  arm,  which  I  knew  wa& 
meant  as  a  warning.  My  heart  leaped  to  my  throaty 
but  I  did  not  so  much  as  open  my  half-closed  eyes, 
nor  did  I  raise  my  head,  which  had  fallen  listlessly  for- 
ward upon  my  chest.  There  were  a  few  low-spoken 
words  of  salutation,  and  the  gate  swung  open. 

"  Whom  have  we  here  ?''  said  a  strange  voice. 

"  Ah,  poor  fellow,"  said  Mrs.  Nickolson ;  "  pray, 
help  us  lift  him  into  the  carriage.  He  is  the  son  of 
an  old  and  dear  friend  of  mine,  and  has  been  very  ill 
for  some  time.  I  am  taking  him  to  a  friend's  house, 
where  he  can  have  better  attention  than  I  can  possibly 
give  him." 

While  she  was  yet  speaking  strong  arms  were 
lifting  me  bodily  into  the  carriage,  but  to  whom  they 
belonged  I  did  not  know.  As  I  gained  the  seat  I  fell 
heavily  upon  it,  particular  in  nothing  save  that  my 
head  should  fall  in  such  a  position  as  to  effectually 
screen  my  face  from  view  ;  and  thus  1  lay,  groaning, 
gasping  for  breath  and  performing  in  pantomime,  all 
the  horrible  contortions  of  a  man  about  to  take  his 
unwilling  departure  from  this  world.  The  ladies  fol- 
lowed quickly  in,  and  one  of  them  began  to  fan  me 
vigorously  while  the  other  felt  my  pulse. 

"  I  am  so  much  obliged,  gentlemen,"  said  Mrs. 
Nickolson,  after  cautioning  the  driver  to  move 
very  slowly,  and  to  be  careful  in  avoiding  the  rocks 
and  rough  places. 

"Not  at  all,  madam,"  said  the  strange  voice  again. 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  131 

"  Poor  fellow,  he  seems  to  be  very  bad,  indeed,     I 
hope  he  will  soon  be  better.     Good  morning.'' 
"  Thank  you,  sir;  good  morning." 
The  carriage  moved  slowly  off,  and  I  opened  my 
eyes.     "  Am  I  better  now,  ladies  ?"  said  I. 

*'Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Nickolson,  "I  think  you  are 
much  better  now." 

I  sprang  at  once  into  a  sitting  posture. 
"  And  who  were   my  humane    and    sympathizing 
friends,  madam  ?" 

"Two  friends  of  mine,"  said  she,  quietly;  Hoth 
Union  officers  P 

"  I  divined  the  truth,  then,"  said  I,  laughing  ;  "and 
how  did  I  play  my  part?" 

"You  area  very  prince  among  actors,  sir,"  said 
she,  herself  beginning  to  laugh,  "and  if  you  survive 
the  war,  you  should  go  at  once  upon  the  stage.  But 
I  think  we  may  quicken  our  pace,"  continued  she, 
leaning  forward  and  hailing  the  driver:  "Tom' 
Tom!" 

"  Tas,  Missis." 

"You  may  drive  up  now  ;  the  gentleman  is  better." 

"Fo'  de  Lord,  Missis,"  said  Tom,  with  difficulty 

restraining  a  laugh,  "  it  tek  you  for  fool  dera  Yankey. 

Degem.mun  ain't   bin  sick  frum  de  fus';  him  well  es 

me  dis  minit." 

"You  know  entirely  too  much,  Tom,"  said  Mrs. 
Nickolson,  frowning  with  mock  severity. 

An  illy-suppressed  guffaw,  and  a  loud  crack  of  the 
whip  followed  this  rebuke,  and  despite  the  clouds  of 
war  which  rolled  dark  and  ominous  on  every  hand, 
we  rattled  along  the  stony  pavements,  a  merry  party. 


132  SAVED   BY   A    WOMAN; 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

The  carriage  drew  up  suddenly  on  M street, 

but  a  few  doors  from  the  corner  of  Church. 

"  Was  he  there,  Tom  ?"  asked  Mrs.  Nickolson  of  the 
driver. 

"  Yas'Qra,''  said  Tom,  "  right  on  de  corner,  mum  ; 
I  shum,  dey  look  dis  way  now." 

"All  right,  then,  drive  up  to  tlie  sidewalk;  and 
now,''  she  continued,  turning  to  me,  "you  must  leave 
us  here.  Walk  straight  back  to  Church — a  friend 
awaits  you  there.  Meet  him  cordially,  as  you  would 
meet  an  old  friend,  and  put  yourself  under  his  guid- 
ance. It  is  not  likely  we  will  meet  again,  but  you 
will  hear  of  me,  if  not  from  me.     Good-bye.'' 

"But  how  am  I  to  know  this  friend  of  yours, 
madam  ?''  I  asked. 

"Oh,  he  will  know  you,"  said  she  ;  "indeed,  as  you 
have  alighted  he  sees  you  already.  His  name  is  Tom 
Eoberts,  and  that  is  all  you  need  know." 

"Then,  good-bye,  madam.  I  know  not  how  to 
thank  you  for  all  your  generous  kindness.  Would 
that  ray  heart  could  speak  it,  for  my  lips  cannot.  I 
trust  we  will  meet — " 

"  Yes,  yes,'' said  she  hurriedly,  "we  will  meet  again, 
I  hope,  but  we  must  part  now ;  go  at  once  ;  good-bye. 
Ready,  Tom." 

What  a  heavy  heart  was  mine  as  I  stood  gazing 
upon  the  heartless  vehicle  wheeling  away  my  best,  my 
only  friend.  Dimly,  through  gathering  tears,  I 
watched  it  till  it  turned  a  distant  corner  and  left  me 
wholly  deserted. 


OR,   THE   HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  133 

With  an  effort  I  shook  off  ray  padnees  and  walked 
rapidly  toward  Church  street,  at  the  corner  of  which 
Btood  a  young  man  lazily  puffing  a  cigar.  At  first  he 
took  no  notice  of  me,  and  I  had  begun  to  fear  he  was 
the  wrong  person,  when  looking  up  of  a  sudden,  he 
broke  into  a  broad  grin,  and  moving  toward  me,  ex- 
tended his  hand,  and  cried: 

"Why,  Cousin  Willie,  where  did  you  spring  from  ?'' 

Determined  not  to  be  outdone,  I  shook  his  hand 
warmly,  and  promptly  replied  : 

"From  Shelby ville.  How  lucky  I  should  have  met 
you." 

"  Lucky,  indeed,''  said  he.  "I  am  on  my  way  to  the 
Suwanee  ;  will  you  go  along  ?  Of  couree  you  will. 
My  father  (your  uncle)  keeps  the  Suwanee  House,  and 
there  you  will  put  up.  How  did  you  leave  them 
all  ?" 

"Quite  well,"  I  said.  "You  say  my  uncle  is  well ; 
and  how  is  my  dear  aunt?" 

"Humph  ;  you  know  she  is  dead." 

A  shade  of  sadness  passed  over  his  face  as  he  said 
this  and  his  manner  changed  at  once. 

"You  must  know,''  said  he,  "that  my  father  is  a 
Union  man  ;  therefore,  you  must  not  see  him.  I  will 
take  you  to  a  third-story  room  (he  seldom  gets  up  so 
high),  and  there  you  will  have  to  remain  in  the  char- 
acter of  a  sick  man  for  a  day  or  two — perhaps  a  week. 
Meanwhile,  the  lady  you  have  just  left  will  be  work- 
ing  to  procure  you  a  pass  out  of  the  city.  My  name 
is  Thomas — Tom,  for  short ;  and  yours  is  Willie.  Sur- 
names are  scarcely  necessary  and  can  be  manufactured 
if  occasion  requires.  Now,  here  we  are  at  the  hotel ; 
follow  me  right  up." 

We  mounted  to  the  third  story  and  Roberts  ushered 
me  into  a  small  but  neatly-arranged  room.     Here,  af- 


134  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

ter  looking  to  mj  comfort  in  various  ways,  he  left  me  ; 
and  here  I  was  destined  to  spend  three  days  and 
nights.  These  were  without  incident.  My  meals 
came  to  me  regularly,  and  various  books  and  news- 
papers made  their  appearance  from  time  to  time. 
Once  I  was  visited  by  a  young  lady  who  introduced 
herself  as  Miss  Koberts — Tom's  sister.  I  enjoyed  her 
one  visit  immensely  and  made  her  promise  to  repeat 
it,  but  this  she  never  did,  probably  because  I  left  be- 
fore  she  found  a  second  opportunity.  Young  Tom  I  saw 
each  night,  but  seldom  in  the  day,  and  from  him  and  the 
papers  with  which  he  kindly  supplied  me  I  learned  the 
current  news  of  the  period.  The  war  was  waging 
fiercely  and  some  of  the  events  of  the  day  were  mo- 
mentous, but  it  is  not  my  province  to  speak  of  them. 
As  to  the  search  after  myself,  it  had  grown  less  and 
less  vigorous,  and  was  by  this  time  (the  third  day  of 
my  freedom)  well  nigh  abandoned,  so  far  at  least  as 
the  city  was  concerned.  It  was  currently  reported, 
however,  that  a  certain  officer  (name  and  rank  un- 
known to  Roberts,)  had  on  that  morning  left  the  city  in 
charge  of  half  a  dozen  men  with  the  avowed  intention 
of  "  bringing  in  the  spy."  This  officer,  so  said  rumor, 
had  affected  a  knowledge  of  the  whereabouts  of  the 
"spy,"  upon  which  representation  he  had  been  allowed 
to  go  upon  what  most  people  considered  "a  wild 
goose  chase."  I  paiJ  little  attention  to  this  story, 
treating  it  rather  as  favorable  to  my  final  escape  than 
otherwise. 

"And  what  of  Mrs.  Nickolson  ?"  I  asked  of  Roberts, 
who  had  just  related  the  above. 

"I  saw  her  an  hour  ago,"  said  he,  "and  she  bade  me 
tell  you  not  to  despair,  and  that  3'ou  might  hope  to 
hear  from  her  to-morrow.  It  has  been  rather  difficult, 
I  fancy,  to  procure  you  a  pass  through  the  lines  at 


OR, 


135 


this  moment,  even  before  the  noise  of  yonr  escape 
has  died  away  ;  but  if  any  one  can  do  it  Mrs.  Nickol- 
son  can,  so  never  fear.  1  rather  think  from  the  man- 
ner in  which  she  spoke  this  morning  tiiat  she  has 
already  hit  upon  a  plan  which  she  will  reveal  to  us 
before  many  hours." 

Soon  after  this  Roberts  left  me.  His  predictions 
were  destined  to  be  fulfilled.  On  the  next  day  he 
came  to  me  at  noon. 

"What  did  I  tell  you  ?"  said  he,  handing  me  a  note, 
^'read  that,  or  better  still,  I  will  read  it  to  you  ;  lis- 
ten : 

'At  Home — 12  o'clock. 

'Dear  Tom — (you  see  she  calls  me  Tom)  I  have 
met  with  a  deplorable  loss.'      (Ha,  ha,  ha.) 

"What  are  you  laughing  at?"  said  I ;  "who  is  the 
note  from  1" 

"Oh,  you  will  soon  see,"  said  he,  "only  listen,  *I 
have  met  with  a  deplorable  loss  in  the  sudden  death 
(ha,  ha,  ha,)  of  one  of  my  carriage  horses  and  I  want 
you  to  help  in  procuring  another.  Poor  'Bunkum,' 
.that's  the  horse,)  poor  'Bunkum'  was  taken  buddenly 
Wk  last  night,  and  despite  every  effort  to  save  him  lie 
died  at  daylight  this  morning.  Now  I  know  of  but  one 
other  horse  that  will  match  'Progress,'  (that's  the  other) 
and  he  is  at  Lebanon.  But  how  am  I  to  get  him  ?  I  have 
just  been  to  the  Provost-marshal's  on  foot,  (ha,  ha,)  and 
he  has  kindly  given  me  a  pass  for  our  friend  'Mr.  W. 
W.  VVyatt.'  I  mentioned  Mr.  Wyatt  to  the  Provost 
because  I  knew  he  was  trustworthy,  and  I  feel  sure 
that  under  the  circumstances  he  could  le pei^suaded  to 
go.  (That  part  i^  underscored,  he,  he,  he.)  Having 
done  so  much,  can  you  do  the  rest  for  me?  that  is, 
can  you  find  Mr.  Wyatt  and  arrange  with  him  to 
leave  by  the  eight  o'clock  stage  in  the  morning?     i 


136  SAVED    BY    A   WOMAN; 

have  already  written  to  Lebanon,  and  the  horse  will 
be  ready  for  him  upon  his  arrival.  Let  him  ask  for 
Mr.  King,  the  livery  stable  man,  and  introduce  him- 
self. Tell  me  to-morrow  if  you  have  accomplished 
this,  and  very  much  oblige 

'Truly  Yours,         Mrs.  Nickolson. 
'P.  S. — I  enclose  the  pass.' 

"Which  she  has  done,  by  the  Lord,  for  here  it  is. 
Now,  sir,  what  do  you  make  of  that?'' 

"Oh,  it  is  plain  enough,"  1  answered,  "of  course  / 
am  W.  W.  Wyatt." 

"Certainly,  and  you  leave  us  in  the  morning;  but 
what  think  you  of  the  horse  story  ?     Ha,  ha,  ha." 

I  joined  in  his  laugh,  but  my  mirth  was  scarcely 
sincere,  for  another  sentiment  tilled  my  heart  at  the 
moment. 


CHAPTER  XXIL 

Mrs,  Nickoleon  was  mistaken  as  to  the  hour  at 
which  the  coach  departed  for  Lebanon,  and  although 
I  was  quite  ready  for  the  road  by  seven  o'clock,  I 
awaited  with  burning  impatience  until  half  past  three 
in  the  afternoon  before  that  lumbering  equipage  was 
announced.  Never  before  was  porter's  voice  as  wel- 
come as  that  which  cried,  "All  aboard  for  Lebanon,'' 
and  almost  before  its  harsh  echoes  had  died  away  I 
stood  ready  at  the  door,  passport  in  hand. 

"All  right,  Mr.  Wyatt ;  step  in,  sir,"  faid  the  guards 
returning  me  my  pass,  and  I  did  not  wait  for  a  second 
invitation.  The  door  slammed  upon  me  and  we  rat- 
tled away. 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  137 

I  was  rather  pleased  to  find  that  I  was  the  only  occu- 
pant of  the  coach,  and  was  proportionately  disap- 
pointed when  we  stopped  before  a  crazy-looking  resi- 
dence on  the  outskirts  of  the  city.  Here  an  old  lady 
shawled,  bonneted  and  gloved,  and  a  young  man, 
evidently  her  son  and  the  apple  of  her  eye,  got  in. 
They  kept  aloof  from  me,  however,  talking  incessantly 
upon  family  matters,  and  I  soon  forgot  their  presence 
and  gave  myself  wholly  up  to  the  enjoyment  of  that 
freedom  of  which  I  had  so  long  been  deprived.  Ah, 
my  kind-hearted  reader,  believe  me,  there  are  few  ex- 
periences half  so  delightful  in  this  life  as  the  sweet  con- 
sciousness of  freedom  after  a  long  captivity.  How 
fervently  and  sincerely  I  now  blessed  Mrs.  Nickolson 
and  the  others  who  had  befriended  me,  and  how  I 
longed  to  leave  the  sluggish  coach,  too  lazy  by  half 
for  spirits  such  as  mine,  and  race  and  caper  at  will 
over  the  peaceful  country  through  which  we  were 
passing.  Not  content  with  the  mere  knowledge  of 
freedom,  I  burned  by  actual  test  to  prove  and  enjoy 
it.  The  pure  country  air  was  never  so  "sweet  as  now, 
the  sunshine  was  never  so  bright.  There  was  a  new 
beauty  in  every  familiar  object  that  greeted  my  eyes, 
and  the  monotonous  character  of  the  scenery  never 
wearied.  I  had  no  thought  for  danger,  never  once 
remembering  that  the  ?entencc  of  death  hung  over 
me.  I  had  no  future  plans,  no  present  cares,  not  a 
thought  for  anything  but  the  ecstasy  of  the  moment. 
At  any  other  season,  the  journey  might  have  been 
dreary  enough,  for  although  we  were  now  some  miles 
from  Nashville,  scarce  a  tree  had  thus  far  thrown  its 
shadow  across  our  way.  Wide  expanses  of  open  fields 
(now  neglected  and  weed-grown)  stretched  away  on 
either  side,  presenting  a  prospect  which  to  less  de- 
lighted eyes  might  have  appeared  decidedly  dismal. 


138  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

It  was  a  hot  day,  too,  "dreadfully,  terribly  hot,"  so 
eaid  ray  tiavcling  companions  ;  but  what  cared  I  for 
the  heat  since  its  very  intensity  was  another  evidence 
of  my  newly  found  liberty.  "  Old  Sol  seldom  finds  his 
way  through  the  bars  of  a  cell,"  I  muttered,  and  I 
welcomed  his  fiercest  rays. 

During  the  third  hour  of  our  journey  we  entered  a 
forest  of  tall  beech  and  pines,  with  here  and  there  a 
venerable  oak  gray  with  moss  and  age,  and  here  again 
I  found  a  new  atti action  in  all  that  met  my  eye.  Birds 
of  gay  plumage,  and  strange  yet  once  familiar  note, 
hopped  from  branch  to  branch  of  the  forest  trees 
which  bordered  and  overhung  the  road.  The  gray 
squirrel,  covering  his  body  with  his  bushy  tail,  peeped 
timidly  at  us  from  behind  a  limb,  or  with  one  grace- 
ful leap  reached  the  ground  and  scampered  away. 
And  the  long-eared  rabbit,  seated  on  the  graesy  road- 
side, took  to  flight  at  first  sight  of  us,  giving  us  only 
a  glimpse  of  his  "cotton  tail,"  as  with  a  single  bound 
he  disappeared.  All  this  pleased  me  well — my,  my, 
how  well.  I  never  weary  thinking  of  it ;  I  would 
never  tire  telling  of  it.  Nay,  so  pleasant  is  its  recol- 
lection that  I  could  dwell  upon  each  little  incident  of 
that  delighful  journey  with  a  fond  prolixity,  little 
pleasing  to  you,  most  benevolent  reader,  but  fear  not. 
One  word  more,  but  a  thought,  I  should  say,  and  I  am 
done.  It  is  this :  that  among  the  many  and  various 
pleasures  of  this  life,  those  which  defile  us  not  are 
doubly,  trebly  dear  to  us,  since  they  alone  are  remem- 
bered with  pleasure.  How  often  in  our  old  age  does 
it  happen  that  our  hearts  are  warmed  and  softened  by 
the  bare  remembrance  of  a  single  hour  of  innocent, 
healthful  enjoyment.  The  cares  of  a  long  life  vanish 
as  we  recite  such  memories  to  our  children  ;  our  age- 
dimmed  eyes  sparkle  again  with  the  light  of  youth 


OR,   THE   HIDDEN   R03LA.NCE.  139 

and  liappy  smiles  smooth  away  the  wrinkles,  while  in 
the  telling  we  dolig-ht  both  the  little  ones  and  our- 
selves. And  what  shall  be  said  of  those  other  fleeting 
pleasures,  purchased  with  our  substance,  alloyed  with 
wickedness,  ofttimes  tinctured  with  actual  crime? 
These  we  remember  (if  we  allow  our  thoughts  to 
dwell  upon  them  at  all,)  only  with  shame  and  humili-. 
atioa.  Throughout  our  age,  be  it  never  so  repentant, 
they  stand  ever  ready  like  clouds  o'er  the  rising  sun, 
to  darken  and  to  sully  the  recollections  of  our  youth. 

Darkness  soon  fell  upon  us,  a  cruel  inexorable  dark- 
ness, which  deprived  me  of  the  scenes  I  had  so  long 
enjoyed.  As  we  seldom  think  long  of  what  we  can- 
not see  (unless  the  object  be  very  dear  indeed  to  us), 
I  soon  forgot  that  which  had  entertained  me  during 
the  day,  and  began  now  to  give  serious  thought  to 
my  situation.  In  a  hurried  conversation,  held  with 
Roberts  a  few  hours  before  my  departure,  he  had  ad- 
vised me  not  to  enter  Lebanon,  but  to  stop  at  a  Mr.  John 
Ashworth's,  whose  residence  the  coach  would  pass 
en  route.  "  Ashworth's  is  only  three  miles  from  Leb- 
anon," Roberts  had  said,  "  and  is  immediately  upon 
the  pike."  I  had  half  determined  to  follow  this  ad- 
vice before  leaving,  but  I  had  not  thought  of  it  since, 
and  now  these  questions  began  to  puzzle  me.  Should 
I  stop  at  Ashworth's,  where  I  was  sure  of  a  welcome 
and  all  the  assistance  he  could  give  me,  or  should  I  go 
on  to  Lebanon,  where  nothing  but  uncertainty  awaited 
ine?  In  the  latter  course  there  was  some  risk  ;  in  the 
former  scarcely  any.  This  thought  decided  me,  and 
I  immediately  hailed  the  driver  and  inquired  of  him 
how  far  we  were  from  Lebanon. 

"  Little  better  than  four  miles,"  said  he. 


140  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

"  And  do  you  know  where  Mr.  John  Ashworth 
lives  ?"  I  asked. 

"  Kight  ahead  of  us,  sir  ;  less  than  a  mile  away." 

"Then  stop  when  you  get  there,  please  ;  Mr.  Ash- 
worth is  an  old  friend  of  mine  and  I  think  I  will 
spend  the  night  with  him." 

"  All  right,  sir  ;  we'll  be  there  in  ten  minutes." 

"  Ten  minutes  !  A  long  enough  space  to  look  for- 
ward to  in  times  like  these,"  I  muttered,  as  I  resumed 
my  seat. 

In  less  than  ten  minutes  the  coach  stopped,  and  I 
alighted  at  Mr.  Ashworth's  door.  T.he  family  were 
seated  upon  the  piazza;  the  bright  moonlight  showed 
me  so  much,  as  I  turned  and  walked  toward  the  house. 
The  effect  of  my  approach  was  three-fold.  Two  ladies 
retired  into  the  house,  a  man,  the  only  one  to  be  seen, 
came  forward  to  the  steps  as  if  preparing  to  exchange 
with  me  either  cunning  words  or  leaden  bullets,  and 
a  huge  mastiff  met  me  at  the  gate  with  a  savage 
growl. 

''  Is  this  Mr,  Ashworth's  residence  ?"  I  cried. 

"Yes,  sir,"  said  the  gentleman,  "and  this  is  Mr. 
Ashworth; — quiet  there,  'Tug.'" 

"Will  you  kindly  step  to  the  gate,  sir?  I  have 
something  to  say  to  you,"  said  I.  He  hesitated  a  mo- 
ment, but  at  length  he  came  forward. 

"  Well,  sir,"  said  he,  when  he  had  approached  suffi- 
ciently near,  "  I  am  ready  to  hear  what  you  have  to 
say." 

"  Are  3^ou  Mr.  John  Ashworth  ?" 

"  I  am,  sir." 

"  Then,  in  the  name  of  the  Confederacy,  I  claim 
5''0ur  protection.  I  am  an  escaped  prisoner  with  a 
price  upon  my  head.  I  am  immediately  from  Nash- 
ville; you  saw  me  alight  from  the  stage,  and  I  come 
to  you  directly  from  Tom  Roberts  and  Mrs.  Isaac 
Nickolson ;  1  am  working  my  way  to  McMinnville, 
and—" 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  141 

"  Say  no  more,  sir,"  said  he  ;  "whatever  I  can  do  for 
you  shall  be  done  cheerfully.     First  of  all,  walk  in." 

Opening  the  gate  as  he  spoke  he  called  to  his  dog 
and  held  him  by  the  collar  while  I  entered. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

"  Walk  right  up  the  steps,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Ashworth, 
*^  I  must  hold  this  pup  until  you  are  indoors,  he  will 
not  molest  you  there.  I've  known  the  time,"  he  con- 
tinued, as  he  slowly  followed  me  toward  the  house, 
"  when  he  was  the  most  amiable  of  dogs,  but  the  all- 
pervading  spirit  of  war  seems  to  have  taken  full  hold 
upon  him  and  the  very  domestics  are  afraid  of  him 
now — walk  right  up,  sir;  now.  Tug,  go  and  lie  down." 

"  A  noble  friend  and  a  dangerous  enemy,  sir,"  said  I. 

"  He  is  undoubtedly  both,"  said  he,  as  he  mounted 
the  steps ;  "  he  is  known  far  and  wide,  and  feared 
wherever  known.  I  am  the  only  farmer  for  many  a 
mile  around  who  is  safe  from  the  hand  of  the  pilferer, 
and  I  would  venture  to  assert  he  has  kept  safely  for 
me  a  hundred  times  his  weight  in  chickens,  eggs,  pork 
and  the  like.  Let  me  have  your  hat,  sir,  and  sit  here, 
if  you  please,  until  I  hang  it  up  ;  we  will  exchange 
confidences  on  the  piazza,  if  it  suits  you  as  well — I  will 
be  back  in  a  moment." 

He  left  me  for  the  purpose  indicated  and  had  scarcely 
been  gone  a  moment  when  the  clatter  of  horses'  hoofs 
fell  upon  my  ear.  As  I  listened  the  noise  increased, 
and  I  soon  became  aware  that  several  horsemen  were 
approaching  at  a  sharp  canter.  Savage  yells  and 
boisterous  laughter  now  and  then  mingled  with  the 
fall  of  the  hoofs,  and  as  my  condition  demanded  ex- 
treme caution  I  called  to  Mr.  Ashworth  and  asked  for 


142  SAVED    BY   A    WOMAN; 

his  solution  'of  what,  in  consideration  of  the  state  of 
the  country,  seemed  almost  a  mystery. 

"  By  the  Lord !"  said  he,  after  listening  for  a  mo- 
ment, ''  they  must  be  Yankees  ;  guerrillas  are  seldom 
so  noisy,  and  Confederates  never.  They  are  coming 
from  Lebanon  straight  down  the  pike,  and  are  evi- 
dently drunk.  We  will  let  them  pass,  and  it  may  be 
prudent  for  you  to  step  inside  until  they  are  gone.  It 
is  not  likely  they  will  turn  up,  but  if  they  should  you 
will — ah,  here  is  Mrs.  Ashworth ;  let  me  introduce  'Mr. 
What's-name,'  my  dear;  show  him  into  the  house 
until  these  noisy  night-prowlers  pass  by,  and  remem- 
ber whatever  happens  he  must  not  be  'seen  ;  now,  be 
quick,  they  are  here  already  ; — and  by  the  Lord,"  I 
heard  him  add  as  I  escaped  into  the  hall,  ^*they  are 
coming  up." 

Mr.  Ashworth  was  right.  The  horsemen  dashed  up 
to  the  gate  and  drew  rein  at  the  same  moment  that 
the  mastiff  bounded  from  the  steps  to  meet  them.  The 
hubbub  which  followed  was  deafening.  All  the  men 
began  to  hail  at  once  ;  to  rattle  the  gate  ;  to  swear  at 
each  other,  at  everything  and  nothing,  while  the  dog 
kept  up  a  constant  barking  by  Avay  of  protest.  They 
were  five  in  number  ;  this  was  clearly  revealed  by  the 
moonlight ;  and  from  the  manner  in  which  they 
swayed  from  side  to  side  in  their  saddles,  I  judged  that 
they  were  all  drunk.  Further  than  this  I  .could  not 
discover  in  the  uncertain  light. 

"  Shut  up,  I  say,  you  (hie)  noisy  devils,"  shouted 
the  foremost,  who  was  mounted  upon  a  powerful  horse, 
and  had  drawn  and  raised  his  sabre  threateningly 
above  his  companions,  "  how  the  h — 1  am  I  to  hear 
when  any  one  answers  ?  Peace,  I  say,  j^ou  devil's  imps. 
Damn  that  dog,"  he  continued,  when  quiet  had  been 
partially  restored,  "  You,  Ashworth,  stop  his  mouth 
or  I'll—" 

The  report  of  a  pistol  followed,  and  the  noble  crea- 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE. 


143 


ture,  with  a  last  dying  yelp,  fell  upon  his  side  and 
was  still. 

It  was  now  Mr.  Ash  worth's  turn  to  be  heard. 
"You   have   killed  my  dog,  sir,"  cried  he;  "you 
drunken  vagabond,  how  dare  you" — 

"  Shut  up,  John  Ashworth,"  shouted  the  leader  in 
return,  "or  we  might  treat  you  as  we  did  your  dog. 
Nice  fellow  you  lor  harboring  (hie)  spies.  Better  be 
thankful  for  the  roof  over  your  head  in  these  days  of 
confis  (hie)  cation.  Now  listen  to  this.  We  have 
an  idea  who  you  have  in  there  and  we  are  coming 
in  to  search  your  (hie)  house.  We  met  the  coach^ 
understand,  and" — 

I  waited  to  hear  no  more.  "Madam,"  I  said,  turn- 
ing to  Mrs.  Ashworth,  who  all  this  time  had  stood  at 
my  side  ;  "if  you  will  show  me  the  way  I  will  escape 
through  the  back  gate.  Fortunately  for  me  these 
fellows  are  drunk  and  have  not  thought  of  guarding 
every  approach  to  the  house." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  say  you  are  mistaken,  sir."  said  Miss 
Ashworth,  who  had  approached  and  caught  my  last 
words,  "I  have  just  looked  out  and  there  are  two  men 
at  the  back." 

"  Ha,"  said  I,  "then  can  you  secrete  me  indoors  ? 
"  That  will  never  do,"  said^Miss  Ashworth  again,, 
"for  if  they  enter,  which  they  seem  bent  on  doing, 
there  is  no  hiding  place  here  which  they  may  not 
discover.  Mother,  you  are  generally  cool  in  these 
emergencies ;  can  you  not  think  of  something  now  ? 
Father  tells  me  there  is  a  price  upon  his  head  and"— 
"  A  moment,"  said  Mrs.  Ashworth,  "are  you  cleanly 
shaven,  sir  ?" 

"  Yes,  madam,"  said  I,  "I  was  shaved  only  this 
morning," 

"Then  follow  me;  come,  Kate,  I  shall  need  your 
assistance." 

The  ladies  led  me  quickly  upstairs  and  into  a  bed- 
room, and  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  I  was  transform- 


144  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

«d  into  an  aged  female,  with  my  hair  in  a  net,  my 
hands  in  mittens  and  my  i"ace  chalked  to  the  white- 
ness of  a  sheet." 

"  Now,"  said  Mrs.  Ashworth  as  she  led  me  to  a 
rocker,  which  was  placed  at  one  corner  of  the  fire- 
place, "sit  here,  and  we  will,  if  necessary,  call  you  my 
invalid  mother;  draw  in  your  feet  and  let  this  shawl 
conceal  your  hands  and  as  much  of  your  face  as  is 
consistent  with  prudence.  Kate,  you  will  sit  by  him, 
my  daughter,  and  if  those  men  enter  here  you  must 
pretend  that  the  noise  downstairs  has  frightened  and 
made  ill  your  old  grandmother.  I  trust  this  device 
will  keep  you  safe,  sir,"  said  she,  turning  to  me ;  "I 
will  now  leave  you  and  try  to  acquaint  my  husband 
with  the  scheme.     Hark  !  they  are  below  already." 

She  left  us  hurriedly  as  she  concluded,  and  reaching 
the  entry  she  leaned  over  the  balustrade  and  cried : 

"  Mr.  Ashworth,  Mr.  Ashworth,  will  you  tell  those 
brutal  men  that  they  have  frightened  my  poor  old 
mother  almost  to  death.  Can  they  not  pursue  their 
search  with  less  noise  and  fewer  curses  ?  " 

"  They  have  heard  you,  my  dear,"  cried  Mr.  Ash- 
worth from  below,  "and  I  hope  that  for  the  honor  of 
their  flag  they  will  be  less  boisterous." 

"We  won't  hurt  the  old  'un,"  shouted  the  leader, 
"rny  men  are  outside  guarding  the  doors  and  (hie) 
windows,  and  if  your  darned  scheming  husband  will 
only  lead  the  way  with  the  light" — 

Here  the  sound  of  breaking  crockery,  followed  by 
Mr.  Ashworth's  voice  in  angry  protestation,  drowned 
the  ruffian's  further  speech. 

Mrs.  Ashworth  now  returned  to  the  room,  and  as  if  to 
prepare  her  daughter  for  the  coming  ordeal,  she  ap- 
proached her  and  took  her  hand.  "Kate,"  she  said, 
''you  will  be  brave,  will  you  not  ?" 

"  Yes,  mother,"  said  the  young  lady  as  the  two 
embraced,  "I  am  only  concerned  about — my  grand- 
mother there." 


OR,   THE   HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  145 

"  The  old  grandmother  is  quite  comfortable,  I  assure 
you,  ladies,"  said  I,  "I  am  only  sorry  my  coming  should 
have"— 

*' Hist,"  said  Mrs.  Ash  worth,  "to  your  place  by  his 
side,  Kate;  they  are  coming  upstairs." 

We  were  now  given  the  full  benefit  of  the  conver- 
sation between  Mr.  Ash  worth  and  the  intruder. 

"  Hold  the  light  so  as  I  can  see."  said  the  latter, 
"would  you  have  me  break  my  neck  down  these  d — n 
stairs  ?" 

"  I  should  not  weep  my  eyes  out  if  yoa  did,"  return- 
ed the  host. 

"  Reckon  you  wouldn't,  but  guess  I  won't  (hie) 
break  it  just  to  please  you." 

"  You  will  have  it  broken  some  day  whether  you 
will  or  no,  sir,"  returned  the  other,  ''by  the  Lord  I'd 
do  the  job  for  you  myself  were  it  not  that  my  wife  and 
child  might  suffer  for  it  afterward." 

"  Well,"  said  the  man  with  a  laugh,  "you  are  plain 
spoken,  to  say  the  least." 

"  I  generally  am,  sir." 

The  door  of  the  room  in  which  we  sat  was  now  thrown 
wide  by  Mr.  Ashworth,  who  held  a  lighted  lamp  in 
his  hand.  '-This  is  my  daughter's  bed-room,"  I  heard 
him  say,  ''and  you  cannot  enter  it.  Step  up  and  look 
in,  if  you  will,  but  go  no  further  than  the  door," 

"Suppose  I  say  I  will,"  said  the  other,  taking  a  step 
forward  ;  but  Mr.  Ashworth  planted  himself  firmly  in 
the  doorway,  and  raised  his  arm  threateningly.  Hith- 
erto I  had  contented  myself  with  merely  listening, 
but  now,  fearing  that  a  crisis  was  at  hand,  I  turned 
my  head  sufficiently  to  behold  what  was  going  on. 
Mrs.  Ashworth,  fearing  for  her  husband,  had  risen, 
however,  at  the  same  moment,  and  was  now  approach- 
ing the  door,  her  figure  cutting  off  my  view.  It  was 
not,  therefore,  until  she  had  reached  it,  and  had  gent- 
ly but  firmly  drawn  her  husband  to  one  side,  that  I 
10 


146  SAVED   BY    A    WOMAN; 

was  enabled  to  see  the  intruder,  one  glance  at  whom 
was  sufficient  to  set  my  blood  to  boiling,  and  to  fill  me 
with  a  thousand  mad  passions,  for  the  drunken  wretch 
before  me  was  none  other  than  "Douglass"  himself.  I 
remember  little  of  what  transpired  within  the  next 
few  moments.  I  remember  that  after  many  threats 
and  much  parleying,  and  finall}'-  through  the  inter- 
cession of  Mrs.  Ash  worth,  Douglass  Avas  allowed  to  en- 
ter the  room.  I  remember  that  he  peered  into  every 
hole  and  corner  of  it,  that  he  several  times  addressed 
himself  half  insultingly  to  Miss  Ashworth,  and  that 
through  it  all  her  father  raved  and  fumed,  while  his 
wife  endeavored  unceasingly  to  quiet  him.  I  remem- 
ber so  much,  yet  indistinctly,  but  I  recollect  best  of 
all  the  furiqus  struggle  between  prudence  and  pas- 
sion which  all  the  while  possessed  me.  A  dozen  times 
during  the  few  seconds  that  Douglass  remained  in  the 
room,  was  I  upon  the  very  verge  of  springing  upon 
him  as  a  tiger  upon  his  prey,  but  the  presence  of  the 
gentle  girl  at  my  side  as  often  restrained  me.  This 
was  not  the  first  time  that  a  cruel  fate  had  tied  my 
hands  when  most  I  longed  to  strike,  and  T  now  felt 
as  if  further  forbearance  were  a  thing  impossible. 
Well  for  me  was  it  that  the  temptation  lasted  but  a 
few  seconds,  for  Douglass  left  the  room  almost  imme- 
diately and,  relieved  of  his  presence,  I  soon  regained 
my  self-control.  I  kept  my  seat,  though  not  without 
a  powerful  effort,  until  his  unsuccessful  search  had 
ended,  and  he  had  left  the  house.  I  heard  him  descend 
the  stairs,  swearing  in  his  disappointed  rage  at  every 
step.  I  heard  him  summon  his  companions  around 
him  and  issue  his  orders  to  them,  to  "scatter,  and 
search  every  d — d  rat-hole  for  ten  miles  around."  I 
heard  them  gallop  away  in  every  direction,  and  then, 
and  not  until  then,  did  I  spring  to  my  feet.  Miss 
Ashworth  started  back  from  me  with  a  cry  of  alarm. 
Following  the  direction  of  her  horrified  gaze,  I  looked 


OR,    THE    IIIDIJEN    ROMANCE.  147 

downward  and  discovered  that  I  held  in  my  hand  the 
pistol  which  Mrs.  Nickolson  had  given  me.  What 
was  more,  I  found  it  was  ready  cocked,  but  in  no  wise 
could  I  recall  when  I  had  drawn  it. 

"Good  heavens!"  said  Miss  Ashworth,  Hhat  was 
what  I  heard  'clicking'  all  through  that  dreadful 
time." 

"I — I — ask  your  pardon,  ladies,"  I  stammered.  "I 
could  tell  you,  perhaps,  that  which  would  excuse  this 
indiscretion,  but  I  cannot  tarry  now,  I  must  be  off. 
Let  me  thank  you  sincerely  for  my  safety;  it  has 
been  preserved  before  by  others  of  j'our  sex,  and  now, 
good-bye,  and  heaven  keep  you  from  harm." 

"But  where  are  you  going  ?"  asked  Mrs.  Ashworth, 
as  I  was  bounding  from  the  room  ;  "Good  heavens, 
must  you  take  with  you  my  wrapper,  my  mittens 
and  my  net  ?" 

I  halted  abruptly,  and  returned  somewhat  crest- 
fallen, scarcely  liking  the  laugh  Avhich  my  ridiculous 
oversight  occasioned,  and  with  the  assistance  of  the 
ladies  I  soon  discarded  ray  borrowed  disguise.  "Good- 
bye," I  said  once  more,  and  this  time  I  descended  the 
stairs.  Mr.  Ashworth  met  me  as  I  gained  the  door- 
way, but  I  did  not  stop  to  answer  his  look  of  inquiry. 
"I  must  not  delay  a  moment,"  I  cried,  as  I  rushed 
past  him;  "you  may  think  me  a  madman  if  you 
will,  but  I've  no  time  for  explanations  now." 

Reaching  the  gate,  I  passed  quickly  through  it,  and 
a  moment  later  I  stood  upon   the  pike. 


148  SAVED   BY   A    WOMAN 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

I  paused  to  listen,  but  not  a  sound  broke  the  still- 
ness of  the  night.  The  silence  somewhat  discouraged 
me,  but  resolve  such  as  mine  was  not  to  be  easily 
shaken,  and  I  had  soon  determined  upon  a  course  of 
action.  "If  I  cannot  hear  you,  'Douglass,'  at  least  I 
can  track  you,"  I  muttered,  "and  if  my  vengeance  be 
not  so  swift  as  I  could  wish  it,  it  shall  be  none  the 
less  complete  at  the  last."  I  fell  upon  my  hands  and 
knees  and  examined  the  tracks  upon  the  pike.  To 
my  impatient  eyes  there  seemed  a  million  on  every 
hand,  for  so  beaten  by  hoofs  was  the  surface  that  not 
one  perfect  track  could  I  find.  "This  will  never  do," 
said  I,  "woodcraft  like  mine,  could  never  read  this 
puzzle."  I  arose  and  crossed  into  the  adjacent  field, 
and  here  again  I  stopped  and  examined  the  ground. 
There  were  tracks  wherever  I  looked,  though  fewer 
than  upon  the  pike,  but  I  could  not  find  among  them 
the  particular  impression  for  which  I  was  searching. 
"These  are  all  fresh,"  I  thought,  "and  they  must  have 
been  made  by  his  men,  but  he  was  not  among  them." 

What  to  do  next  I  coi^ld  not  determine,  and  I  had 
abandoned  my  search  for  a  moment  in  order  to  reflect 
upon  my  situation  when  a  distant  whoop  fell  faintly 
upon  my  ear.  It  must  have  been  fully  a  mile  away; 
nevertheless,  I  at  once  determined  to  proceed  in  the 
direction  of  the  sound.  "  If  I  come  upon  one  of  his 
men,"  I  thought,  "  I  have  only  to  keep  sight  of  him 
to  finally  come  upon  the  master,"  and  this  thought 
spurring  me  on  I  quickened  my  pace  into  a  run.  I 
shall  never  forget  that  mad  midnight  chase.  Twice 
I  fell  flat,  and  once  I  barely  escaped  falling  into  a 
ditch   of  water,  but  nothing  checked  my  headlong 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  149 

course.  I  stopped  every  few  moments  to  listen  for  a 
repetition  of  the  whoop,  but  1  heard  nothing  upon 
either  of  these  occasions  but  my  own  heavy  breathinor, 
and  the  loud  beating  of  my  heart.  A  moment  or  less 
spent  thus  and  I  w^ould  dash  onward  again,  until  at 
length  I  had  crossed  the  open  field  and  come  full  upon 
a  dense  wood.  The  blackness  of  the  forest  and  the 
thick  undergrowth  checked  me,  and  I  determined  after 
a  moment's  thought,  to  sit  down  and  rest,  with  the 
hope  that  something  might  occur  meanwhile,  to  de- 
termine my  next  step.  Upon  this  resolve  I  immedi- 
ately acted,  selecting  as  a  seat  the  butt  of  a  fallen  log 
which  I  found  conveniently  near.  As  I  sat  thus,  out 
of  breath  and  trembling  from  exhaustion,  I  leaned  for- 
ward and  clasped  with  my  hands  my  burning  fore- 
head, and  to  my  horror  I  discovered  that  I  was  hatless. 
This  discover}^,  together  with  the  fact  of  my  bruised 
shins,  my  mud-bespattered  clothing  and  my  much- 
exhausted  condition,  did  much  toward  bringing  me  to 
my  senses ;  for,  the  more  I  pondered  upon  my  situation 
the  more  Convinced  I  became  that  I  had  been  upon 
the  very  verge  of  madness.  ''What,  in  heaven's  name, 
could  J  have  been  thinking  of,"  I  muttered  ;  "  or  have 
Tbeen  thinking  at  all?  Afoot,  but  poorly  armed,  and 
against  such  odds !  Say  that  I  fought  them  from  cover, 
even  then  could  I  expect  to  hold  my  own  against 
seven?  It  is  true  that  I  have  my  pistol  but  if  I 
killed  or  disabled  one  at  each  fire,  there  would  still  be 
another  left ;  and  here  am  I,  bare-headed,  bruised  and 
well  nigh  hors  de  combat  before  the  fight  begins. 
Surely  I  must  have  been  mad."  Full  of  impatience  and 
not  a  little  vexed  at  myself  I  sprang  to  my  feet  and 
began  to  walk  to  and  fro.  "Now  1  wonder,"  continued 
I  in  thought,  "if  a  greater  fool  than  I  ever  lived.  What 
the  deuce  am  I  to  do  now  f  Ash  worth's  must  be  all  of 
a  mile  aw^ay  and  yet  I  must  return  to  his  place  for 
my  hat;  oh,  stupid,  stupid!  and  where  the  devil  is 
Ashworth's  ?"     I  stood  still  and  looked  away  over  the 


150  SAVED  BY  A  \vo:max  ; 

moonlit  scene  hoping  to  discover  some  familiar  object 
which  might  guide  me  in  retracing  my  steps,  but  I 
could  make  out  nothing  but  the  wide  expanse  of  open 
field  and  the  dark,  Avooded  background  beyond  it. 
"Every  portion  of  the  field  is  as  similar  as  a  sheet  of 
water,"  I  muttered  again  as  I  continued  to  scan  its  sur- 
face, "but  how  now,"  I  suddenly  cried,  "what  is  that  over 
yonder?"  It  was  a  moving  object  which  had  attracted 
my  attention.  At  first  I  took  it  for  a  cow,  or  some 
other  animal,  but  as  I  continued  to  look  it  gradually 
assumed  the  shape  of  a  man.  My  first  thought  was 
to  conceal  myself  and  await  his  approach,  for  he  was 
evidently  coming  in  my  direction,  but  there  was  a 
peculiarity  about  the  figure  which  caused  me  to  stand 
still  and  scrutinize  it  more  closel3\ 

"  Now,  what  in  the  name  of  all  that's  peculiar  can 
that  fellow  be  about  ?"  I  again  soliloquized ;  "  he  walks 
as  if  his  back  were  broken,  and  he  stumbles  from  side 
to  side  as  if  he  were  drunk.  One  of  Douglass'  men,  of 
course,  but  where  is  his  horse  ?  Ah,  by  heaven,  I 
have  it,  he  is  on  mytrail.''^  I  sprang  behind  the  log  as 
1  became  convinced  of  this  fact,  and  concealing  myself 
from  view  I  drew  forth  my  revolver  and  awaited  the 
issue.  "  Now  may  fortune  grant,"  I  muttered,  as  my 
passion  began  to  rise  again,  "  that  this  may  prove  to 
be  Douglass  himself;  the  time  and  the  place  are  both 
well  fitted  for  the  last  act  of  all." 

The  figure  came  quickly  on,  stopping  at  every  dozen 
paces  to  rise  to  its  full  height  and  look  intently  on 
every  hand,  then  bending  low  again  it  approached 
me  swiftly  and  noiselessly.  At  length  it  reached  the 
edge  of  the  timber,  and  here,  as  I  had  done,  it  paused, 
seemingly  at  a  loss  to  determine  what  next  to  do. 
The  distance  now  dividing  us  was  scarcely  more  than 
a  dozen  yards,  and  as  the  man  straightened  himself 
once  more,  I  began  from  my  ambush  to  scrutinize  his 
appearance. 

"  It  is  not  Douglass,"  1  thought,  '•  for  he  is  not  in 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  151 

uniform,  nor  can  it  be  one  of  his  men  for  the  same 
reason."  This  discover}^  surprised  me  not  a  little, and 
caused  me  to  redouble  m,y  scrutiny;  but  further  than 
that  the  man  was  above  six  feet  in  height  and  that 
he  was  heavily  bearded  I  could  not  make  out  in  the 
uncertain  light.  I  had  just  made  up  my  mind  that  if 
he  proved  an  enemy  I  must  have  the  drop  on  him, 
when  he  stooped  once  more,  and  caking  up  my  trail 
followed  it  to  within  a  few  feet  of  where  1  lay  con- 
cealed. Had  he  stepped  across  the  log,  as  at  first  he 
seemed  about  to  do,  he  must  inevitably  have  planted 
his  feet  directly  upon  me ;  but,  as  fate  would  have  it, 
he  turned  half  round  and  seated  himself  exactly  upon 
the  spot  where,  a  few  minutes  before,  I  myself  had  sat. 
I  had  now  but  to  stretch  forth  my  hand  to  reach  him, 
and  this  I  determined  to  do,  but  before  I  could  make 
the  first  motion,  the  man,  to  my  utter  astonishment, 
burst  forth  into  a  low  but  hearty  fit  of  laughter. 

"Well,  well,"  muttered  he,  when  the  paroxysm  had 
exhausted  him  ;  "well,  well,  if  this  ain't  a  lark,  then 
I  never  — "  He  began  to  laugh  again,  and  this  time 
he  wound  it  up  by  giving  vent  to  a  low,  but  long- 
drawn  whoop. 

All  this  time  Ilay  still,  scarcely  breathing  as  freely 
as  I  would  have  liked,  and  wondering  as  I  never  won- 
dered before,  what  manner  of  man  was  this.  I  could 
not  determine  upon  a  course  of  action.  The  indignant 
anger  which  the  first  sight  of  him  had  occasioned,  had 
gradually  disappeared,  the  man's  jollity  having  com- 
pletely dispelled  it,  and  I  was  never  less  in  the  humor 
for  fighting  than  I  found  myself  after  listening  to  his 
mirth.  Nay,  the  sudden  and  strange  turn  which  af- 
fairs had  taken  began  now  to  strike  me  as  so  extremely 
ridiculous  that  I  could  scarcely  restrain  a  laugh  my- 
self. 

"Well,  well,"  said  the  individual  again,  rising  to  his 
feet  and  stretching  himself,  "the  boy  is  as  mad  as— as 
the  devil.  Of  all  the  freaks ;  two  falls  at  the  least,  and— 


152  SAVED    BY    A   WOMAN; 

wonder  he  didn't  break  his  neck  the  last  time.  I'd  give  a 
pretty  to  come  up  with  him,  if  only  to  listen  to  his 
explanations — explanations,  the  deuce — explanations, 
balderdash  r^ 

As  the  last  word  left  his  lips  I  sprang  to  my  feet  with 
an  ejaculation  of  joyful  surprise. 

"McPherson,"  I  cried,  as  I  bounded  toward  him  with 
extended  hand,  "I  might  have  mistaken  your  voice, 
but  after  hearing  that  expression,  I  can  no  longer 
doubt  who  stands  before  me.  By  all  that's  fortunate, 
man,  how  came  you  here  ?" 

''The  devil,"  said  the  other,  returning  the  pressure 
of  my  hand  with  an  earnestness  which  made  me 
wdnce,  "You  almost  startled  me.  I  thought  you  could 
not  be  far  away,  but  I'm  blowed  if  I  looked  for  you  as 
near  by  as  this.  Glad  to  find  you,  boy,  'pon  my 
word,  I  am.  I  have  mourned  you  as  dead,  but  here 
you  are  in  the  flesh,  a*nd  looking  particularly  well  by 
moonlight.  Well,  well;  and  how  have  you  been, 
my  poor  fellow  ?  They  tried  to  hang  ,you,  eh  ?  Yes, 
I  heard  all  about  it,  every  w^ord;  but  sit  down  and  let 
us  not  burn  daylight,  for  we  have  much  to  talk  about; 
here,  put  on  your  hat." 

Something  struck  me  in  the  breast  as  he  concluded, 
then  fell  to  the  ground  at  my  feet.  I  stooped  and 
picked  it  up,  and  to  my  surprise  I  recognized  my  hat. 

"You  stopped  at  Ash  worth's,  then,"  said  I,  as  I  cov- 
ered my  head,  "but  w^hat  carried  you  there,  and  how 
did  you  come  by  my  hat  ?" 

"That  will  all  be  revealed  in  its  turn,"  said  McPher- 
son, "but  at  present,  you  must  allow  me  to  have  my 
laugh  out — don't  bother  me  now." 

I  stood  before  him  somewhat  abashed  as  he  said 
this,  and  m}^  confusion  momentarily  increased  as  he 
deliberately  seated  himself  upon  the  log,  laid  aside  his 
long  rifle,  placed  one  hand  upon  each  of  his  knees,  and 
catching  my  eye,  continued  for  some  seconds  to  gaze 
upon  me  with  an  expression  so  reproachful,  and  yet  so 


OR,    THE   HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  153 

comical  and  full  of  mischief,  as  to  make  me  feel  exceed- 
ingly small,  and  somewhat  hysterical. 

"My  young  hero,"  said  he,  beginning  to  breathe 
hard,  "my  rattle  brained  mad-cap  — " 

The  laugh  choked  his  further  utterance,  and  for  a 
considerable  time  his  huge  frame  shook  as  if  racked 
with  the  ague. 

"My  brave  boy,"  said  he  again,  when  the  fit  had 
ended,  "what  a  scout  you  would  make.  I'll  recom- 
mend you  to  Morgan,  and  tell  him  of  this  night's  ex- 
ploit— ha,  ha,  ha — whoop-ee,  what  a  lark  !" 

"Oh,  pshaw,"  said  I,  impatiently,  "have  done  with 
your  nonsense,  man  ;  were  you  never  imprudent,  fool- 
ish, or  whatever  you  like,  when  as  young  as  I  ?" 

"Why,  yes,"  said  he,  "many  a  time ;  but  I  was  never 
stark,  raving  mad  like  you  but  once,  and  that  was 
when  I  tried  to  hoist  myself  into  an  apple-tree  by 
pulling  at  the  top  of  my  boots— ha,  ha,  ha." 

"Oh,"  said  I,  snapping  my  fingers  and  seating  my- 
self beside  him,  "let  us  talk  of  something  else.  I  ac- 
knowledge to  having  been  'stark,  raving  mad,'  as  you 
say,  but  at  present  I  am  enjoying  a  lucid  interval,  and 
I  pray  you  have  done — unless,"  I  continued,  *'you 
would  drive  me  to  the  conclusion  that  the  malady  is 
contagious.  Come,  now,  where  have  you  been  and 
what  have  you  been  doing  ?  Begin  at  the  beginning, 
and  let  me  hear  all  about  it." 

"Well,"  said  McPherson,  Aviping  his  eyes,  "I  believe 
I  have  laughed  enough  for  once,  but  I  haVe  little  to  tell 
you.  You  know  I'm  always  on  the  go,  and  yet  there 
is  a  monotonj^  in  mj^  life,  after  all.  Let  me  see.  I 
left  you  a  prisoner,  in  front  of  Chattanooga,  and  you 
were  astraddle  of  a  Yankee,  if  I  mistake  not.  Tell  me, 
how  did  you  pull  through  that  scrape  ?  I've  never 
heard.'; 

"I  will  tell  you  later  on,"  said  I,  "but  at  present  you 
have  the  floor.  Did  you  reach  Chattanooga  in  safety?" 

"I  did — you  heard  my  signal,  did  you  not?" 


15 J:  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAX  ; 

''That  did  I,  and  a  more  welcome  sound  never  glad- 
dened my  heart;  for  I  was  tortured  with  anxiety  be- 
fore it  came." 

"On  my  account?"  said  he. 

"On  your  account,  of  course." 

"Thank  you.  Well,  I  swam  the  river,  with 
my  valuables  between  my  teeth  and  my  musket 
strapped  to  my  back,  (an  old  trick  of  mine),  and  I  saw 
■  Ledbetter  at  sunrise  the  next  morning.  I  was  entrust- 
ed with  the  answers  to  my  dispatches,  and  I  left  the 
city  at  noon,  this  time  in  a  boat.  I  pressed  a  horse 
soon  after  crossing — " 

''  You  'pressed'  a  horse  ?" 

"Yes;  I  borrowed  him,  and  set  out  after  Morgan. 
I  found  the  latter  in  Virginia  after  a  week's  steady 
going.  (I  had  to  move  slowly  on  account  of  the  pris- 
oners), and" — 

"  The  prisoners  ?     What  prisoners?" 

''Three  whom  1  caught  napping;  and — where  was 
I?" 

"  But  tell  me  how  you  took  the  prisoners." 

"  Oh  !  balderdash,  nob  now — and  as  I  said  before,  I 
reached  the  general  after  a  week's  march.  Well  I 
was  with  him  only  two  days  Avhen  he  sent  me,  post 
haste,  to  Tennessee.  I  reached  the  neighborhood  of 
Nashville  on  the  very  day  of  your  trial,  for  I  read  an 
account  of  it  and  also  of  your  escape  in  the  next 
morning's  paper.  Of  course  I  felt  concerned  about 
you  and  I  scouted  around  the  city  all  that  day  and 
night  trying  to  pass  the  pickets,  but  all  I  got  for  my 
pains  Avas  this  "  He  rolled  up  the  sleeve  of  his  left 
arm  as  he  spoke,  and  showed  me  near  the  elbow  the 
livid  track  of  a  bullet. 

"  It  was  a  close  call,"  he  continued  before  I  could 
speak,  "for  it  passed  between  my  arm  and  my  body, 
but  the  rascal  got  a  closer,  I  fancy." 

"  And  did  not  the  firing  bring  down  the  other  pick- 
ets upon  you  ?"  I  asked. 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    RO:\IANCE.  155 

"  Two  or  three,"  'said  he,  "but  I  soon  slipped  them, 
and  by  sunrise  I  was  safe  enough.  I  slept  in  the  forest 
during  the  greater  part  of  that  day,  and  went  to  Leb- 
anon after  nightfall,  where  I  had  business  and  where 
I  remained  until  yesterday  morning." 

"  Well,  and  what  brought  you  back  and  put  you  at 
last  upon  my  trail  ?"  said  I. 

"  Why  the  Nashville  paper,  of  course,  which  spoke 
of  a  certain  sergeant  with  a  half  dozen  men,  who  had 
set  out  in  the  direction  of  Lebanon  for  the  avowed 
purpose  of  bringing  in  the  spy  dead  or  alive." 

"  Ha,  and  you  were  on  their  trail  when  you  ran 
across  mine.^'' 

"  Not  exactly,  for  I  was  keeping  them  in  sight.  I 
found  their  camp  last  night." 

"  And  did  you  notice  who  was  the  officer  ?" 

"  No,  I  did  not ;  but  after  hearing  of  your  to-night's 
conduct  from  farmer  Ash  worth,  I  can  readily  guess 
that  you  recognized  him  as  your  old  enemy  Doug- 
lass; am  I  correct?" 

''  You  are,"  said  I,  "it  is  he  and  none  other." 

"  I  thought  as  much,  and  now  let  us  have  your 
story,  for  there's  an  end  of  mine." 

"  But  you  have  not  told  me  how  you  came  by  my 
hat,"  said  T. 

"Oh,  I  had  forgotten,"  said  he,  "it  was  Miss  Kate  Ash- 
worth  who  sent  it  to  you,  and  she  bade  me  say  that 
she  hoped  her  grandmother  had  not  caught  a  cold  for 
need  of  it." 

"  Quite  thoughtful  in  her,"  said  I. 

"And  quite  mischievous,  you  would  add,"  said  the 
other  ;  "but  come,  young  man,"  continued  he,  glancing 
at  the  moon  which  now  hung  low  in  the  west ;  "you 
must  begin  3^our  narrative,  for  I  will  not  budge  an 
inch  until  I  hear  it,  and  I  fancy  there's  work  ahead 
of  us  between  this  and  high  noon  to-morrow." 

"  I  think  I  catch  your  meaning,"  .said  I,  "and  what 


156  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

you  hint  at  is  so  much  to  my  liking  that  I  will  lose 
no  time  in  hems  and  haws." 

"  All  right,"  said  he,  "you  will  find  me  a  good  lis- 
tener. As  I  have  said,  I  left  you  astraddle  of  a  Yan- 
kee and  I  find  you  astraddle  of  a  log.  You  must  fill 
the  gap  between  them,  and  then  we  will  to  business." 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

The  moon  had  completely  disappeared  when,  as 
expressed  by  McPherson,  I  had  ''filled  the  gap"  be- 
tween the  Yankee  and  the  log.  My  companion 
proved  an  excellent  listener.  As  I  proceeded  I  was 
astonished  to  note  with  what  extreme  quickness  of 
perception  he  comprehended  every  little  detail  of  my 
narrative,  which,  if  I  attempted  to  explain,  he  would 
wave  his  hand  and  say,  "Yes,  3'es,  I  understand,  skip 
it  and  go  ahead." 

Answering  my  reference  to  this  peculiar  gift,  Mc- 
Pherson declared  that  it  was  the  result  of  the  close 
and  constant  observation  which  was  one  of  the  first 
essentials  of  a  scout's  existence. 

"  I  have  found,  after  two  years  of  such  study,"  said 
he,  '-that  the  connection  between  cause  and  effect  is 
much  clearer  than  is  generally  believed,  and  if  I  am 
given  to  know  the  one  I  can  generally  guess  pretty 
correctly  at  the  other.  But,"  continued  he,  "there 
is  one  feature  about  your  mad  freak  of  to-night  which 
I  am  at  a  loss  to  comprehend,  for  all  you  call  me 
quick  to  see.  How  in  the  name  of  all  that's  wonder- 
ful did  you  hope  to  pick  out  from  among  the  hoof- 
marks  of  seven  horses  the  peculiar  track  of  the  animal 
ridden  by  Douglass  ?  Did  the  beast  have  a  a\  ooden 
leg,  or"— 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  157 

"  Oh,"  said  I,  "I  noticed  upon  first  seeing  the  party 
that  the  worthy  commander's  horse  was  an  unusually 
large  one,  while  those  ridden  by  his  men  were  of  the 
ordinary  size." 

''  And  you  concluded  of  course  that  the  largest 
horse  would  make  the  largest  track." 

"  Certainly." 

"  Well,"  said  the  scout,  ^'  you  may  be  right  and  you 
may  be  wrong.  If  your  mammoth  brute  is  a  common 
'hack'  the  chances  are  his  hoofs  are  the  largest,  but  if 
he  happens  to  be  a  blooded  animal  I'll  wager  my  head 
his  feet  are  the  smallest  in  the  lot.  But  in  view  of 
our  surroundings,"  continued  he,  "  this  talk  is  idle  ; 
I  have  a  proposition  to  make  to  you." 

"  Well,  I  am  listening." 

"  I  told  you  I  had  found  your  friend  Douglass's 
camp." 

"  Yes." 

"  Would  you  like  to  visit  it  ?" 

"  Not  a  whit,  since  he  has  left  it." 

"  But  he  has  not ;  that  is,  I  think  he  has  returned 
to  it." 

"  Ha ;  and  you  can  guide  me  there  ?" 

"  Upon  one  condition." 

"  And  that  is"— 

"  That  you  put  yourself  completely  and  uncondi- 
tionally under  my  orders." 

"  But  what  do  you  propose  to  do  when  you  get 
there  ?" 

"  Make  a  prisoner  of  your  pretty  sergeant." 

"  And  the  others  ?" 

"  Oh,  we'll  fight  them  as  long  as  they  fight  us,  and 
let  them  alone  after." 

"  Agreed,"  I  cried,  jumping  to  my  feet,  "agreed  ;  but 
promise  me  one  thing,  only  one?" 

"  1  said  'unconditionally.'  " 

"  Yes;  but  listen  before  you  decide." 


158  SAVED    BY    A    WOMAN; 

"  Well.;' 

"  Promise  that  if  we  succeed  in  capturing  Douglass 
you  will  let  me  have  the  disposal  of  him." 

"  Why,  what  do  you  suppose  I  want  with  him?" 
said  MciPherson  ;  "  do  you  think  I  care  for  the  scoun- 
drel ?" 

"  Then  you  would  simply  lend  your  friendly  assist- 
ance in  forwarding  my  vengeance  ?" 

"  Scarcely  that  either,  boy  ;  for,  although  I  believe 
in  fighting  when  there's  occasion  for  it,  yet  I  have 
never  sought  a  quarrel  with  any  one ;  and  as  to  this 
thing  of  vengeance,  I  have  never  understood  it — can't 
harbor  malice,  not  I." 

"  Then  why  do  you  propose  to  guide  me  to  this 
camp  ?" 

"  First,  because  I  would  help  you  to  preserve  a  whole 
head  upon  your  shoulders,  for  ]  see  you  are  bent  upon 
exposing  it  for  these  fellows  to  crack,  whether  I  am 
with  you  or  no  ;  and  secondly,  because  I  have  taken  a 
fancy  to  that  noble  steed  of  the  sergeant's,  and  I  am 
determined  to  test  his  'mettle.'  " 

''  Then  it  is  your  interest  in  me  which  actuates 
you,  after  all,"  said  I,  'and  I  appreciate  it  highly,  my 
kind  friend.  But  tell  me,  before  we  set  out,  what  makes 
you  think  our  birds  have  returned  to  the  ne«t." 

"  They  left  a  jug  of  whisky  there,"  said  McPher- 
son,  rising  and  shouldering  his  rifle;  "and  I'll  be 
bound  they  have  returned  to  finish  it.  Now  let  us  be 
off;  Ave  have  an  hour's  fast  walking  ahead  of  us  and 
if  we  would  beat  the  daylight  we  must  be  moving. 
Follow  me,  and  remember,  no  talking  and  no  noise 
with  your  feet.  If  you  step  in  my  tracks  you  Avill 
have  no  occasion  to  stumble  about.  Come— forward, 
march." 

McPherson  took  the  lead  and  for  some  distance  we 
skirted  the  edge  of  the  wood,  moving  in  the  direction 
of  Na'=!hville.  At  length  my  companion  stopped  and 
examined,  first  the  ground  and  then  the  shrubbery 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    R03IANCE.  159 

and  some  of  the  trees  upon  the  edge  of  the  forest ;  but 
after  some  moments  spent  thus  he  shook  his  head 
and  moved  on  again,  only,  however  to  repeat  the  pro- 
cess at  the  distance  of  perhaps  fifty  yards  further  on. 
Upon  this  hitter  occasion  he  must  have  found  that  for 
which  he  was  searching,  for  after  intently  scrutinizing 
the  bark  of  a  tree  he  beckoned  to  me  to  follow  him, 
and  turning  abruptly  to  the  right  he  plunged  into 
the  forest.  Here  the  darkness  was  so  intense  and  the 
undergrowth  so  densely  matted  together  that  our 
progress  became  exceedingly  slow  and  laborious.  To 
keep  together  was  a  thing  impossible,  so  long  as  we 
preserved  the  silence  which  McPherson  imposed,  and 
this  difficulty  at  first  caused  much  blundering  and 
many  a  halt.  At  length,  however,  the  scout,  with 
blunt  authority  and  without  a  word,  grabbed  my 
right  hand  and  placed  within  it  the  butt  of  his  long 
rifle,  himself  seizing  the  muzzle,  and  thus  linked  to- 
gether we  proceeded  at  a  rate  of  speed  which,  although 
quite  slow,  was  yet  by  no  means  consistent  with  com- 
fort. It  was  perhaps  fortunate  that  in  selecting  a 
camp  Douglass  had  chosen  a  spot  but  a  few  hundred 
yards  distant  from  the  field  through  which  we  had 
just  passed ;  for,  had  he  moved  a  single  rod  further 
into  the  forest,  I  verily  believe  I  never  should  have 
reached  his  rendezvous.  As  it  was,  my  patience  was 
taxed  to  the  utmost  limit  of  its  endurance  before  my 
companion  halted.  I  drew  a  long  breath  as  we  paused, 
and  mentally  vowed  that  my  further  progress  in  the 
manner  described  should  be  limited  to  not  more  than 
a  dozen  paces,  and  I  had  just  sealed  the  resolve  with 
an  impatient  stamp  upon  the  earth  when  McPherson 
stepped  backward  and  directed  my  attention  to  a 
flickering  light  faintly  discernible  in  the  distance. 

"That,"  said  he,  "is  what  we  seek;  remain  here  till 
I  return,"  and  without  giving  me  time  either  to  ob- 
iect  or  consent  to  this  arrangement,  he  hurried  noise- 
i  essly  away. 


160  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

Now,  to  be  alone  at  night,  in  a  dense  and  unfamiliar 
forest,  is  at  no  time,  and  under  no  circumstances,  a  sit- 
uation calculated  to  produce  a  soothing  effect  upon  a 
nervous  temperament ;  but  if  to  the  natural  perils 
which  surround,  or  seem  to  surround,  such  a  situation, 
be  added  the  presence  of  a  sworn  and  merciless  foe, 
the  position  becomes  decidedly  unenviable.  Such,  at 
least,  is  ni}^  individual  opinion,  based  upon  the  expe- 
riences of  the  night  in  question.  It  was  less  than 
fear,  and  more  than  nervousness,  which  I  felt,  and 
which  I  am  at  a  loss  to  describe.  I  know  not,  if  there 
be  a  monosyllabic  designation  for  the  intermediate 
sensation,  but  if  there  is  such  a  term,  it  is  my  opinion 
that  it  should  be  harshly  suggestive  of  everything  un- 
pleasant and  harrowing  to  the  mind.  I  squatted  down, 
probably  with  the  idea  of  occupying  less  space,  and  in 
this  position  I  impatiently  awaited  the  return  of  the 
scout.  I  had  remained  thus  for  perhaps  fifteen  min- 
utes, during  which  time,  to  increase  my  discomfort,  a 
swarm  of  mosquitoes  buzzed  around  me  and  stuck 
their  poisonous  bills  into  every  exposed  square  inch 
of  my  person,  when  a  low  whistle  fell  upon  my  ears. 
This  I  quickly  answered,  and  soon  thereafter  McPher- 
son  stood  at  my  side. 

"Man  alive,"  said  I,  in  a  louder  tone  than  suited  the 
scout,  "have  you  been  exploring  Africa,  that  you  leave 
me  here  in  torment  all  this  time?  What  in  the  dev- 
il's name  have  you  been  doing  ?" 

"Put  a  clapper  on  that  tongue  of  yours,"  said  the 
other  in  a  whisper,  "would  you  frighten  the  game, 
after  all  this  chasing?  But  why  do  you  prate  about 
^torment,'  who  has  tormented  you  ?" 

"The — ah,  mosquitoes,"  said  I,  "there's  little  left  of 
me  ;  but  what  have  you  discovered  ?" 

"The  camp  is  there,  and  every  man  in  it,  except 
the  commander  himself,  is  wrapped  in  a  drunken  slum- 
ber. Their  cattle  are  hitched  some  fifty  yards  beyond 
the  rendezvous,  and  by  the  way,  I've  seen  the  ser- 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  161 

geant's  horse  and  examined  his  hoofs,  and  I  find  that 
they  are  not  the  largest  of  the  seven.  He  is  a  fine- 
blooded  creature,  with  small  keen  limbs  and  feet,  and 
"I'm  more  determined  to  have  him  than  ever.  In  fact," 
he  added,  with  a  low  chuckle,  "I've  already  saddled 
and  bridled  him,  and  have  selected  and  caparisoned 
your  mount  also;  so  now  there's  nothing  left  to  do  but 
to  secure  our  gay  sergeant,  and  sjDirit  him  away  while 
the  others  sleep.     Come,  are  you  ready?" 

"Quite  ready,"  said  I,  "but  might  it  not  be  prudent 
to  acquaint  me  with  your  plans  before  we  start,  in  or- 
der that  I  may  not  blunder  in  my  part  ?" 

"It  is  scarcely  necessary,"  said  the  other,  "but  as 
you  desire  it,  I  will  tell  you  the  little  I  have  deter- 
mined upon.  First,  we  will  pass  the  camp,  and  reach- 
ing the  horses,  we  will  create  a  disturbance  among 
them,  sufficient  to  attract  the  sergeant's  attention, 
and  bring  him  thitherward;  then  it  will  be  hard  lines 
if  we  do  not  find  an  opportunity  to  secure  the  gent, 
and  persuade  him  to  take  a  ride  with  us — come 
along." 

"Both  simple  and  plausible,"  said  I,  "lead  the  way." 

Five  minutes  later  we  had  crept  sufficiently  near  to 
obtain  a  good  view  of  the  encampment,  whose  wild 
and  picturesque  character  we  could  but  pause  to  ad- 
mire. The  spot  possessed  all  the  qualities  of  a  secret 
fastness,  being  guarded  on  all  sides  by  a  complicated 
screen  of  underwood,  consisting  principally  of  tall 
canes,  and  of  those  stout  and  luxuriantly  plaited  vines, 
which  give  so  distinct  a  character  to  the  southern 
woodland.  The  group  now  occupying  it  consisted  of 
seven  men,  six  of  whom,  as  McPherson  had  said, 
were  prostrated  in  a  drunken  sleep,  while  the  seventh, 
whom  I  at  once  recognized  as  Douglass,  was  pacing  to 
and  fro,  with  his  hands  clasped  behind  his  back  and 
his  eyes  fixed  upon  the  ground  at  his  feet,  as  if  in  deep 
thought.  A  small  fire  of  brushwood  had  been  kindled 
11 


162  SAVED   BY   A    WOMAN; 

near  at  hand,  whose  feeble  blaze  was  just  sufficiently 
strong  to  throw  a  ghastly  glare  over  the  prostrate 
''rank  and  file,"  and  to  give  to  their  ungainly  forms 
and  ill  favored  countenances  a  weird  and  ghostly  ap- 
pearance. Drinking  cups  and  empty  flasks,  and  here 
and  there  disjointed  pieces  of  raw  flesh,  cleanly  pol- 
ished bones,  and  '-hunks"  of  bread,  lay  confusedly 
scattered  about  among  the  forms,  while  sundry  weap- 
ons could  be  seen  lying  upon  the  beaten  grass,  having 
been  carelessly  discarded  or  fallen  from  the  persons  of 
their  swaggering  masters. 

"Those  men  are  as  good  as  dead,"  whispered  McPher- 
son  in  my  ear.  "You  might  fire  a  cannon  over  their 
heads  and  they  would  not  so  much  as  moan  in  their 
sleep ;  but  come,  the  daylight  is  upon  us." 

We  moved  onward  again,  silently  as  before,  and  a 
few  rnoments  later  we  had  reached  the  small  "clear- 
ing" in  the  forest,  in  the  midst  of  which  the  horses  of 
the  unconscious  enemy  stood  fastened,  their  halters 
having  been  secured  to  a  long  rope,  stretched  across 
the  opening  from  one  bordering  cypress  to  another. 
A  little  behind  the  animals,  and  scarcely  clear  of 
their  heels,  were  piled  their  saddles  and  bridles, 
together  with  several  saddle-bags  and  some  coils  of 
long  rope,  the  latter  to  be  used  for  what  purpose  we 
could  not  guess,  unless,  as  McPherson  mischievously 
suggested,  they  had  been  prepared  especially  for  my 
individual  benefit.  "This  shall  serve  a  worthy  pur- 
pose at  any  rate,"  whispered  the  scout,  as  he  selected 
one  of  the  coils  and  proceeded  to  make  a  "slip  knot" 
in  one  end  of  it;  "it  shall  choke  one  of  the  horses 
until  he  calls  the  sergeant  to  his  rescue,  and  after- 
ward it  shall  bind  the  rescuer  himself,  but  before  Ave 
spring  the  trap  1  have  a  word  for  you." 

"  Well,"  said  I,  "out  with  it." 

"  How  do  you  intend  to  dispose  of  your  prisoner 
after  we  take  him  ?" 

"  I  have  thought  of  that,"  said  1,  "and  had  deter- 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  163 

mined  what  to  do  even  before  we  embarked  upon  this 
enterprise.  I  shall  give  him  the  choice  of  being 
taken  to  the  nearest  confederate  post  to  be  there  dealt 
with  as  a  prisoner  of  war,  or  of  meeting  me  in  single 
combat.  I  need  not  say  that  I  hope  he  will  choose 
the  latter  alternative,  for  I  have  a  heavy  account  to 
settle  with  him." 

"  Spoken  like  a  soldier,"  said  McPherson,  "give  the 
dog  a  chance  for  his  life,  and  now  we  will  to  business. 
Do  you  take  the  two  horses  which  I've  saddled,  and 
with  another  lead  them  a  little  distance  into  the 
bush ;  I  will  do  the  rest." 

"One  other  word,"  said  I,  "what  will  we  do  with 
the  rank  and  file  ?" 

"  Leave  them  Avhere  they  are ;  I  havn't  the  time  to 
bother  myself  with  them,  even  if  I  chose  to,  which  I 
do  not." 

"  Very  well,"  said  I.  "and  now  that  all  is  under- 
stood, I  leave  you,  to  play  my  part." 

Selecting  the  two  equipped  horses,  with  another, 
which  was  "barebacked,"  I  led  the  trio  a  few  paces 
into  the  swamp  and  scarcely  had  I  halted  when  a 
commotion  among  the  remaining  animals  informed 
me  that  the  scout  was  already  busy  in  their  midst. 
Turning  my  attention  to  the  camp,  I  listened  atten- 
tively to  note  the  effect  of  the  melee  which  was 
momentarily  becoming  louder  ;  but  after  listening  for 
some  moments  and  hearing  nothing,  I  began  to  fear 
that  the  irate  sergeant  had  himself  fallen  asleep 
among  his  comrades.  This  idea  began  to  gain 
strength  and  soon  took  the  shape  of  actual  belief,  as 
the  moments  flew  by  and  there  still  came  no  sound 
from  the  camp  ;  and  I  was  upon  the  point  of  returning 
to  my  companion  with  the  half  formed  idea  of  pro- 
posing that  we  should  "beard  the  lion  in  his  den," 
when  the  commotion  suddenly  ceased,  and  the  low, 
but  clear  and  firm  challenge  of  the  scout  rang  out 
upon  the  night : 


164  SAVED   BY   A    WOMAX ; 

"  Hold  for  your  life,"  it  said,  "a  single  word,  a  mo- 
tion, and  you  die  in  your  tracks." 

A  savage  oath  quickly  followed,  immediately  suc- 
ceeded by  a  blow,  and  the  sound  of  a  falling  body,  and 
all  was  still. 

I  listened  breathlessly  for  the  next  sound.  That 
McPherson  and  Douglass  had  come  to  blows  I  did  not 
doubt,  and  that  the  contest  had  been  decided  at  the 
first  passage  seemed  equally  certain,  but  which  of  the 
two  had  fallen  was  a  matter  of  painful  doubt  which  I 
was  impatiently  anxious  to  set  at  rest.  I  did  not  for 
a  moment  question  the  scout's  ability  to  conquer  the 
sergeant  in  any  sort  of  open  contest,  but  in  the 
darkness,  I  mentally  argued,  a  treacherous  foe  such  as 
Douglass  might  find  the  opportunity  to  strike  unseen. 
Scarcely  had  this  fearful  possibility  flashed  through 
my  mind,  however,  .when  the  sound  of  cautiously 
approaching  footsteps  arrested  my  attention,  and  a 
moment  later  McPherson  stood  beside  me,  having,  to 
my  unbounded  astonishment,  the  limp  body  of  the 
captive  sergeant  thrown  across  his  shoulders.  My 
surprise  was  too  great  to  be  expressed  in  words,  and  I 
watched  the  scout  in  silent  wonder  as  he  lightly 
deposited  the  body  upon  the  animal  prepared  for  its 
reception  and  began  to  tie  it  in  position. 

''  There's  an  impertinent  feature  about  this  proceed- 
ing," said  he  when  his  task  Avas  nearly  completed, 
"which  tickles  me,  by  the  Lord  it  does.  To  tie  up  an 
oflficer  like  that  upon  his  own  horse  and  with  his  own 
rope,  after  knocking  him  down,  haw — haw,  haw." 

"  Have  you  killed  him,  McPherson  ?"  I  asked. 

"  Well,  it  was  not  my  intention  to  do  so,"  said  he, 
"  though  I  did  give  him  a  square  shoulder  lick  behind 
the  ear.  He  is  as  good  as  a  dead  man  for  the  present, 
however,  if  not  for  good;  and  now  bring  up  the  rear; 
I  will  lead  the  sergeant's  horse." 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    R03IANCE.  165 

McPherson  sprang  into  the  saddle  as  he  spoke,  and 
m  the  order  indicated  we  started  in  the  direction 
from  which  we  had  come. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


"We  passed  the  sleeping  camp  in  a  ''dog  trot,"  with 
no  fear  of  awaking  the  intoxicated  sliimberers.  The 
fire  had  died  away,  leaving  onlv  a  few  fast  decaying 
embers  to  mark  the  spot  where ^it  had  blazed,  but  the 
light  of  da}',  which  was  now  fast  penetrating  the  re- 
cesses of  the  forest,  had  already  grown  sufficiently 
strong  to  reveal  the  silent  figures  stretched  upon  the 
sward.  Notwithstanding  the  fatigues  of  the  night 
and  the  loss  of  rest,  the  crisp  and  bracing  air  of  the 
morning  invigorated  me  greatly,  and  as  we  journeyed 
along  I  felt  my  spirits  rising  with  each  onward 
bound  of  the  spirited  animal  I  bestrode.  The  feath- 
ered inhabitants  of  the  forest  began  to  waken  on 
every  hand  and  to  carol  forth  their  gladsome  notes  in 
welcome  to  the  coming  day.  The  distant  yelp  of  the 
wild  turkey,  as  he  flew  from  his  roost,  recalled  the 
quiet,  happy  days  of  the  chase,  and  the  mellow  notes 
of  the  industrious  Avhippoorwill  added  to  the  peaceful 
suggestion.  Now  and  again  the  loud  hooting  of  an 
owl  startled  the  air,  but  only  to  increase,  when  its  dis- 
cordant echoes  had  died  away,  the  sweetness  of  the 
softer  music  which  issued  from  a  thousand  tiny  threats. 
And  not  the  least  enchanting  among  the  many  lulling 
melodies  which  filled  the  forest,  was  the  tinkling  of  a 
distant  cow-bell,  Avhose  old,  familiar  music  awakened 
within  me  many  a  treasured  memory  of  home,  and 
fillecl  me  with  reflections  entirely  foreign  to  the  stern 
business  before  me.     Our  procession  was  melancholy 


166  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

enough,  heaven  knows.  The  unconscious  body  at  my 
side  might  of  itself  have  kept  before  me  the  unpleas- 
ant realities  of  the  moment,  but  I  thought  not  of  these. 

In  the  presence  of  so  much  that  was  calming  and 
peace-inspiring  there  was  little  room  for  tumult  or 
passion  in  my  soul,  and  I  marked  nothing  but  the 
gladness  which  shone  forth  from  every  object  I  be- 
held. Yea,  literally  from  every  object ;  for  the  very 
leaves  of  the  trees,  stirred  by  the  gentle  breeze,  and 
sparkling  each  with  its  separate  gem  of  dew,  seemed 
laughing  and  dancing  in  the  very  ecstasy  of  delight. 
And  as  we  approached  the  open  field — memorable 
from  the  events  of  the  night — the  wind,  as  if  to  scat- 
ter wide  the  bounties  of  heaven,  wafted  to  our  grate- 
ful nostrils  the  delightful  fragrance  of  many  a  wood- 
land flower. 

A  feeble  groan  from  the  prisoner,  and  an  attempt 
on  his  part  to  assuihe  an  upright  position,  rudely 
awakened  me  tu  the  less  agreeable  facts  of  the  present, 
and  spurring  forward  I  reached  McPherson's  side  at 
the  same  moment  that  we  emerged  into  the  open  pas- 
ture. 

"  We  had  best  stop  here,"  said  I,  "  the  light  is  now 
sufficient  for  our  purpose,  and  I  would  have  this  un- 
pleasant business  at  an  end.     Have  you  pistols?" 

"  I  have  one,"  said  McPherson  ;  "  but  how  do  you 
know  he  will  consent  to  fight?" 

"I  will  compel  him — " 

At  this  moment  I  inadvertently  touched  my  horse's 
flank  with  the  heel  of  my  boot,  and,  plunging  sud- 
denly, the  animal  regained  his  footing  a  little  to  the 
left  of  his  former  position  at  the  same  instant  that  a 
loud  report  rang  in  my  ear,  and  I  felt  a  stinging  sen- 
sation upon  my  right  cheek.  A  second  report  quickly 
followed,  and  looking  behind  me  I  was  just  in  time 
to  see  Douglass  throw  up  his  hands  and  clutch  at  his 
horse's  mane,  whileMcPherson  was  vainly  endeavoring 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  167 

to  gain  control  over  his  affrighted  and  wildly  plunging 
steed. 

My  attention  being  momentarily  directed  toward 
the  latter,  I  did  not  notice  the  wounded  man's  prepa- 
ration for  his  second  and  last  vengeful  act,  and  I 
started  anew  as  a  third  pistol  shot  deafened  me.  I 
looked  quickly  toward  Douglass,  whose  eyes  met  mine 
in  one  swift  and  terrible  glance,  as  he  fell  forward 
upon  his  horse's  neck.  That  ireful  look,  which 
seemed  to  freeze  my  very  blood,  I  shall  never  forget. 
The  smoking  revolver  fell  from  his  nerveless  hand  at 
the  same  moment  that  his  horse  reared  and  plunged, 
and  dashed  madly  away.  The  body  swung  beneath 
his  belly,  entangling  his  feet  and  causing  him  to  trip 
and  stumble  at  every  bound,  and  finally,  when  a  lit- 
tle distance  had  been  compassed,  to  fall  prone  upon 
the  earth.  Horrified,  yet  fascinated,  we  watched  to 
see  him  rise  again,  but  he  did  not,  and  anon  we  slowly 
approached  the  spot,  to  shudder  and  grow  sick  when 
we  had  reached  it,  and  to  turn  our  backs  upon  it  and 
shudder  again. 

"  How  did  it  happen,"  said  I,  "for  I  know  very  lit- 
tle about  it  ?" 

"  He  must  have  been  armed,"  said  McPherson, 
"without  my  knowing  it,  and  at  the  first  opportunity 
after  recovering  his  senses  he  used  his  weapon.  I 
■quickly  answered  his  shot  and  must  have  hit  him 
hard,  for  his  second  attempt  to  take  your  life  failed  for 
want  of  strength.  The  ball  he  intended  for  you  pierced 
his  horse's  head  ;  look  and  you  will  see  it.  Yes,"  con- 
tinued he,  after  a  moment's  thoughtful  pause,  "  his 
arm  refused  to  do  murder  as  its  last  act  before  it 
^stiffened  in  death,  and— but  come,  let  us  go,  let  us 
go." 

"And  leave  him  there  ?" 

"In  the  first  place,  we  have  no  implements  with 
which  to  bury  him,  even  if  we  had  the  time;  and— he 
is  so  mangled." 


168"  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

"Shall  we  ride  to  Ashworth's  and  request  him  to 
have  it  done  ?" 

McPherson  nodded.  "Anything  to  get  away  from 
this,"  said  he,  "for   I  confess  I  like  not  the  vicinity." 

"Come  then,  1  am  ready." 

We  conversed  but  little  now  as  we  rode  along,  for  our 
thoughts  were  not  of  the  pleasantest,  and  we  had  no 
mind  to  exchange  them.  Having  reached  a  small  hil- 
lock not  far  distant,  we  paused  and  looked  behind  us. 
The  sun  had  just  risen,  gilding  the  tips  of  the  forest 
trees,  with  his  beauteous  rays,  and  the  wind  had  lulled 
into  the  gentlest  of  zephyrs.  A  tiny  cloud  of  white 
smoke  hung  over  the  spot  where  the  firing  had  been 
done;  but,  other  than  this,  no  token  remained  of  the 
late  painful  occurrence.  The  birds  sang  as  sweetly  as 
before,  the  cow-bell  tinkled  as  peacefully,  and  nature 
smiled  to  the  full  as  complacently.  The  death  of 
Douglass  affected  me 'strangely.  For  some  hours  be- 
fore, and  even  up  to  the  very  moment  of  its  occur- 
rence, it  had  been  the  fixed  purpose  and  active  business 
of  my  life  to  slay  him ;  yet,  now  that  the  deed  was 
done,  I  could  in  no  wise  content  myself  with  the 
dreadful  issue.  It  was  not  his  death  itself  that  I 
minded  so  much  as  its  terrible  character;  not  the  end 
so  much  as  the  means  employed  to  attain  it.  That 
the  man  was  richly  deserving  of  his  fate  I  could  not 
doubt,  but  the  thought  did  not  dispel  the  unequal 
seeming  of  the  contest ;  and  more  than  all,  it  detracted 
not  one  whit  from  the  revolting  memory  of  his  man- 
gled corpne. 

Filled  with  these  unpleasant  reflections,  I  turned  ta 
McPherson,  whose  moody  silence  assured  me  that  his 
thoughts  Avere  in  sympathy  with  my  own,  and  re- 
marked upon  the  disagreeable  termination  of  what 
promised  to  be  a  ver}'-  satisfactory  enterprise. 

"Is  not  the  result  precisely  what  you  wished  for?"" 
said  he,  with  a  feeble  smile. 

''The  result  itself,  yes;  but" — 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  169 

"But  you  would  have  preferred  a  more  decent  and 
orderly  proceeding.  Well,  so  would  I,  but  there  is  no 
use  to  cry  over  spilt  milk,  so  let  us  forget  it.  I  could 
wish,  however,"  he  continued,  "that  I  had — that  I  had 
searched  him — that  is  all  " 

"I  wish  you  had,"  said  I,  "and  I  wish  also,  that  I 
could  have  spoken  to  him  before  it  was  too  late.  I 
should  have  questioned  him  concerning  this  bitter 
enmity  which  he  bore  me,  and  in  which  some  woman 
is  mysteriously  concerned.  I  have  never  wronged  the 
man  ;  I  never  crossed  him,  save  on  that  one  occasion 
on  the  day  of  my  capture;  and  yet  has  he  pursued  me 
like  a  blood-hound,  from  that  very  hour  until  this. 
That  there  existed  some  more  powerful  motive  than  I 
am  able  to  assign  for  hatred  such  as  his,  I  have  never 
doubted,  even  before  the  confirmatory  insinuations 
which  he  uttered  a  few  days  since,  and  I  should  like 
well  to  have  had  this  hidden  motive  revealed,  but 
now" — 

"It  is  likely  to  remain  a  mystery,"  broke  in  McPher- 
son,  and  before  the  sentence  had  left  his  lips,  to  my 
surprise,  he  threw  forward  his  long  rifle  and  fired  on 
the  instant.  Looking  in  the  direction  of  his  shot,  I 
was  just  in  time  to  see  a  horseman  wheel  quickly  and 
spur  into  the  thicket  from  which  he  had  just  emerged. 

''The  distance  was  too  great,"  said  the  scout,  smiling 
and  proceeding  to  recharge  his  rifle  after  quieting  his 
horse.     "Did  you  see  him?" 

"Yes ;  one  of  those  we   left   at  the  camp." 

"So  his  uniform  would  indicate ;  so  come,  we  must 
quickly  to  cover,  for  although  I  should  not  object  to  a 
brush  with  the  drunkards,  we  are  too  meager] y  armed 
to  meet  such  odds." 

"Agreed,"  said  I ;  "lead  on  " 

Turning  our  horses'  heads  in  the  direction  of  the 
pike,  which  intersected  the  field  at  the  distance  of 
perhaps  a  half  a  mile  to  eastward,  we  were  upon  the 
point  of  proceeding  when  my  attention  was  attracted 


170  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

by  a  cloud  of  dust  arising  from  that  highway.  Mc- 
Pherson  also  perceived  it  at  the  same  moment  with 
myself,  and  divining  its  meaning  at  once,  he  gave 
vent  to  a  protracted  and  significant  whistle. 

"Horsemen,"  he  Siiid,  "and  Yankees,  by  the  Lord; 
see  their  blue  uniforms." 

It  was  too  true. 

A  second  glance,  showed  us  a  detachment  of  the 
enemy's  horse  of  about  twenty  strong,  leisurely  pur- 
suing its  way  in  the  direction  of  Lebanon. 

"What  is  to  be  done  now  ?"  said  I. 

''A  question  not  easily  decided,"  answered  the  scout. 
"Let  me  see,  menaced  in  the  rear  and  blockaded  in 
front ;    is  that  what  you  make  of  the  situation  ?" 

"Yes ;  but  there  is  no  time  for  parley,  man ;  see, 
they  have  already  discovered  us  and  have  halted." 

"Then  there  is  nothing  for  it  but  to  crawfish,  boy, 
and  what  is  worse,  we-must  part  company.  We  will 
stand  a  better  chance  separated,  and  after  all,  it  is 
only  hastening  the  inevitable.  I  go  towards  Nash- 
ville, and  you  in  an  exactly  opposite  direction,  to- 
w^ards  McMinnville,  so  give  me  your  hand,  and  good- 
bye.    Now  listen;  you    are  armed?" 

"I  have  a  revolver;  >es." 

"Good;  then  make  with  all  speed  for  yonder  point 
of  w^oods.  The  'blind'  road  which  you  will  discover 
just  beyond  it  leads  to  within  a  few  miles  of  your  des- 
tination ;  follow  it,  and  good  luck  attend  you.  Once 
more  farewell;  no  time  for  regrets;  be  gone." 

He  wrung  my  hand  as  he  spoke,  and  wheeling  his 
horse  dashed  away.  A  "worm"  fence,  capped  high 
with  "stake  and  rider,"  stretched  across  the  field  di- 
rectly ahead  of  him,  immediately  beyond  Avhich  was 
a  strip  of  wooded  land,  looking  like  an  outstretched 
arm  of  the  forest,  and  for  this  cover  it  was  soon  evident 
that  McPherson  was  making.  But,  "how  would  he 
cross  the  fence,"  was  a  question  which  immediately 
occurred  to  me,  and  so  interested  did  I  become  in  the 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  171 

subject  that  I  lost  sight  of  my  own  danger,  and  stood 
my  ground,  watching  the  flying  horseman  Avith  mo- 
mentarily increasing  interest.  The  obstruction  could 
not  have  been  less  than  six  feet  in  height,  and  to  at- 
tempt the  leap  with  an  untried  horse  seemed  to  me 
nothing  short  of  madness.  A  few  breathless  seconds 
ensued,  in  which  I  caught  myself  crying  out  in  anx- 
ious warning  to  the  daring  rider,  and  the  supreme 
moment  arrived.  The  manly  voice  rang  out  in  en- 
couragement ;  the  gallant  animal  rose  high  in  mid- 
air, and  seeming  to  pause  suspended  there  for  one 
brief  second,  landed  firaily  upon  his  feet  on  the  other 
side,  having  bravely  cleared  the  topmost  railing. 

A  shout  of  admiration  arose  from  the  group  of 
Yankees  who,  like  myself,  had  stood  still  in  breath- 
less expectancy  to  watch  the  daring  feat ;  and  as  the 
echo  of  their  voices  died  away,  McPherson  answered 
them  with  a  loud  and  defiant  yell,  at  the  same  mo- 
ment wheeling  in  his  saddle  and  discharging  his  rifle 
full  in  their  faces.  When  the  smoke  of  his  fire  had 
died  away,  he  was  lost  to  view  in  the  friendly  cover 
of  the  wood,  and  the  Yankees  were  scattering  in  hasty 
pursuit. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say,  provided  the  reader 
is  but  half  so  well  acquainted  with  the  character  of 
the  scout  as  I  myself  am,  that  this  last  and  apparently 
foolhardy  action  had  nothing  of  bravado  in  it,  but 
was  indeed  a  Avell  considered  effort  on  the  part  of  the 
scout,  to  draw  the  pursuit  after  him  and  away  from 
myself — an  act,  in  short,  of  brave  and  surpassing  gen- 
erosity. The  device  succeeded  admirably,  for  in  less 
time  than  it  takes  me  to  tell  it,  I  found  myself  alone, 
the  entire  troop  having  entered  the  wood  in  eager 
pursuit  of  "Slippery  Frank." 

Now  was  my  chance  to  escape  unnoticed,  for  I  had 
still  to  fear  the  six  men  of  Douglass's  command,  who 
might  at  any  moment  be  expected  to  appear  upon 
the   scene,  and  I  did   not    neglect  the   opportunity. 


172  SAA'ED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

Turning  my  horse's  head  in  the  direction  of  the  point 
of  wood  indicated  by  McPherson,  I  gave  him  full  rein, 
and  he  quickly  took  me  across  the  intervening  space. 
I  gained  the  cover  none  too  soon,  however;  for,  looking 
back  immediately  after  halting,  I  beheld  a  quartette 
of  the  "knights  of  the  forest,"  gallop  into  the  field  and 
draw  rein  to  reconnoitre.  An  object  lying  upon  the 
ground  not  far  distant  attracted  their  attention,  and 
riding  up  to  it  they  dismounted  and  gathered  around 
it,  awe-struck,  and  stupefied  with  horror  and  amaze- 
ment. 

"I  am  glad  they  have  found  it,"  I.  muttered,  "for  it 
saves  me  both  the  inconvenience  and  the  danger  of  a 
ride  to  Ashworth's,"  and  thus  thinking,  I  rode  away. 
I  was  not  long  in  finding  the  by-path  or  ''blind  road," 
as  the  scout  had  called  it  in  imitation  of  the  country- 
folk, and  following  this  I  arrived  toward  nightfall 
without  further  incident  at  my  father's  door.  I  must 
not  ask  the  reader,  however  indulgently  disposed,  to 
share  the  memories  which  linger  with  me  of  this 
brief  visit  to  the  home  of  my  childhood.  To  throw 
m3^self  into  the  arms  of  a  beloved  and  loving  family, 
and  to  dream  away  afew  short  hours  amid  a  thousand 
tender  caresses  and  fond  indulgences;  to  feel  m3'self  for 
the  moment  out  of  the  reach  ot  danger,  and  to  rest  in 
this  peaceful  haven,  as  only  a  tired  soldier  can  rest, 
was  a  privilege  and  a  blessing;  unspeakably  great ;  and 
yet,  though  all  these  sweets  were  mine,  there  was  still 
a  void  in  my  heart  which  they  could  not  fill.  There 
was  not  a  voice  which  spoke  to  me  in  love,  but  it  lacked 
the  cadence  I  3'earned  to  hear.  There  was  not  an  ob- 
ject which  met  my  eye,  but  it  seemed  to  share  my 
grief  and  reflect  it.  The  empty  chair  by  the  fireside, 
the  seat  at  the  table  now  filled  b}'  another,  the  bunch 
of  keys  hanging  at  another's  side,  and  the  ring  on  my 
father's  withered  finger  -  all  these,  and  whatever  else  I 
looked  upon,  kept  constantly  before  me  the  mournful 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  173 

fact  of  my  mother's  death.  I  visited  her  grave  and 
wept  over  it,  and  when  this  was  done  I  felt  that  my 
visit  must  end.  Two  short  daj^s  only  did  I  linger  there, 
and  mounting  my  horse  I  rode  away  again,  missing 
nothing  so  much  in  the  parting,  as  my  beloved  moth- 
er's prayers  and  blessings. 

^     *  *  >:=  >ic  *  * 

It  was  not  until  I  had  left  the  village  some  miles 
behind  me  that  the  thought  of  whither  I  was  going 
crossed  my  mind.  I  had  determined  no  longer  to 
pursue  the  mission  which  had  started  me  from  Atlan- 
ta, believing  it  to  be  altogether  useless  on  account  of 
the  time  which  had  elapsed  since  setting  out  upon  it; 
and  although  I  could  now  have  been  but  a  few  miles 
from  Dr.  Eave's  home,  I  did  not  think  of  turning  out 
of  my  wav  to  find  it.     Then  whither  was  I  going? 

Had  I  known  the  probable  whereabouts  of  my  old 
regiment,  it  is  likely  that  the  knowledge  would  have 
determined  me  to  seek  it  out  and  re-enlist  with  my 
former  comrades,  but  having  no  information  whatever 
upon  this  head  I  did  not  think  twice  about  it. 

And  again,  I  might  have  joined  "Forrest,"  whom  I 
knew  to  be  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  McMinn- 
ville,  but  Forrest  was  for  the  moment  inactive,  and 
this  fact  alone  was  sufficient  to  check  at  once  any  idea 
I  might  have  conceived  of  casting  my  lot  with  his. 
No  ;  I  had  been  idle  long  enough.  The  active  theatre 
of  war  was  to  northward,  in  which  direction  I  was 
traveling,  and  among  whose  tragic  scenes  alone  could 
I  be  content  to  play  out  my  further  part ;  and  feeling 
thus  1  spurred  my  horse  onward.  How  I  found  the 
wars  and  what  happened  to  me  for  the  next  few 
months  must  not  be  told.  Enough  to  say  that  in  the 
interim  I  attached  myself  to  no  particular  corps,  being 
obligated  to  none,  but  that  nevertheless,  T  saw  my  full 
fihare  of  active  service. 


174  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 


CHAPTER  XXVIL 

The  months  flew  rapidly  by,  the  war  still  furiously 
raged,  and  "Old  Father  Time,"  moving  tirelessly 
onward  toward  eternity,  strided  over  many  a  ghastly 
battle-field  as  he  went. 

Scarce  a  line  there  was  in  this,  the  eighteen  hun- 
dred and  sixty-second  chapter  of  his  massive  history, 
but  showed  a  date  upon  it  registered  in  blood  ;  and 
scarce  a  page,  but  told  some  awful  tale  of  death  and 
carnage.  Scores  of  sanguinary  battles  had  been 
fought,  and  thousands  had  bit  the  dust,  deluging  the 
land  with  their  blood ;  but  the  end  was  not  yet. 
"  The  army  of  the  Cumberland"  rested  upon  its  arms 
in  the  vicinity  of  Nashville,  with  its  fort}^  thousand 
faces  turned  frowningly  toward  Murfreesboro,  where 
Bragg  lay  fortified  and  expectant.  This  was  early  in 
December.  Toward  the  close  of  the  same  month 
Kosecrans  moved  his  legions  a  day's  march  nearer  to 
his  waiting  adversary  and  prudently  halted,  and  the 
Rebel  General,  seeing  only  the  caution  in  the  act, 
chuckled  in  his  sleeve  and  again  inspected  his  intrench- 
ments  for  the  hundredth  time.  A  week  of  prepara- 
tion ensued— of  silent,  dogged,  ominous  preparation, 
and  the  bloody  three  days'  battle  began. 

It  must  not  be  my  task  to  attempt  a  description  of 
this  terrible  encounter.  The  fortunes  of  war  had 
borne  me  thither,  and  of  so  much  of  it  as  directly 
concerned  my  individual  fortunes  I  am  bound  to 
speak,  but  for  the  rest,  the  historian  has  left  me  noth- 
ing to  tell.  The  movements  of  each  veteran  general 
have  been  chronicled  again  and  again,  and  the  story 
of  each  heroic  charge  has  been  as  often  told,  in  lan- 
guage exultant  with  pride  and  eloquent  with  enthusi- 
astic praise.     Whether  clad  in  the  blue  or  the  gray^ 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  175 

mortal  men  never  fought  more  valiantly  than  upon 
this  bloody  field,  nor  faced  the  torrents  of  death  with 
more  consummate  courage.  It  is  of  the  third  and 
last  day's  engagement  that  I  would  most  particularly 
speak. 

The  fury  of  the  first  day's  fighting  had  been  follow- 
ed by  heavy  skirmishing  during  the  next  (new  year's 
day,  1863),  and  the  morning  of  the  third  day  found 
each  army  panting  from  exhaustion  and  silently  pre- 
paring for  the  final  crash,  which  was  plainly  inevita- 
ble. On  the  two  previous  days  the  harvest  of  death 
had  been  terrible.  Men  had  fallen  as  liberally  as  the 
leaves  in  autumn,  and  "Hell's  Half  Acre"  had  been 
leveled  to  the  earth,  burying  beneath  its  fated  tim- 
bers hundreds  of  Sheridan's  brave  brigade.  Whole 
companies  of  charging  confederates  had  been  blown 
to  atoms  at  the  mouths  of  the  thundering  cannon, 
and  now,  to  bring  together  their  shattered  regiments^ 
and  prepare  them  for  a  final  struggle,  was  a  necessity 
with  both  armies  alike.* 

It  was  during  this  temporary  calm  that  I  found 
myself  anxiously  searching  among  the  hospitals  in 
the  rear  of  the  confederate  army  for  tidings  of  my 
friend  McPherson,  whom  I  had  just  learned  was 
numbered  among  the  "seriously  injured."  For  some 
time  previous  to  this  date  I  had  been  on  the  lookout 
for  the  scout,  knowing  that  Morgan,  his  noble  chief, 
was  not  far  away,  but  it  was  not  until  the  day  before 
the  struggle  began  that  I  found  him,  and  in  this  wise  : 

Late  in  the  afternoon  of  that  day,  having  nothint>- 
better  to  do,  I  was  lounging  near  a  group  of  officers, 
among  whom  was  General  Bragg  in  person,  when  a 
slight  commotion  was  created  in  camp  by  the  arrival 
of  a  courier,  who,    mounted  upon  a   powerful    horee, 


-A  prominent  historian  estimates  the  killed  and  wounded  in  this  fight 
nearly  25,000  men ;  "of  which  ap 
federates  and  over  14,000  unionists. 


at  nearly  25,000  men;  "of  which  appalling  aggregate  about  lo.OOO  were  con- 


176  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

dashed  past  me  and  up  to  the  General.  I  scarcely 
glanced  at  the  liojiir  3  as  it  swept  by,  for  to  me  the 
hasty  and  oft-recurrina;  arrival  of  a  courier  was  not 
more  significant  than  might  have  been  a  sudden  gust  of 
wind  proclaiming  the  approach  of  a  storm,  and  had 
1  not  overheard  some  remarks  made  by  a  couple  of 
passers-by,  it  i^  probable  that  I  should  hav^e  paid  no 
further  attention  to  the  event. 

"  Ye  gods,  what  an  animal,"  said  one. 

"And  how'well  handled  by  the  dashing  dare-devil 
on  his  back,"  said  the  other ;  "  I'll  wager  my  buttons 
he  is  of  Morgan's  troop." 

Yery  naturally  I  looked  toward  the  object  of  this 
criticism,  and  at  a  glance  I  recognized  both  horse  and 
rider.  I  need  not  say  that  I  was  delighted  and  that  I 
lost  no  time  in  meeting  the  man,  whom  of  all  others  I 
most  longed  to  see.  Since  this  meeting  and  the  sub- 
sequent half  hour  which  we  spent  together,  I  had  not 
seen  the  scout,  ar.d  now  I  wa^^;  searching  for  him 
among  the  wounded.  It  was  an  anxious  and  painful 
duty.  The  hospitals  were  numerous,  and  each  was  full 
to  overflowing.  The  dead,  the  wounded,  and  the  dy- 
ing, lay  side  by  eide  in  never-ending  and  ghastly  array, 
the  cries  and  groans  of  the  latter  falling  upon  my 
heart  with  sickening  effect,  and  moving  me  to  utmost 
pity.  Wherever  I  looked,  some  pale  and  pain-distorted 
face,  seemed  imploring  me  for  mercy,  or  admonishing 
me  to  away  and  avenge  the  blow  which  had  stamped 
it  with  agony,  and  marked  it  for  death.  Cart-load  after 
cartdoad  of  the  dead  were  being  hastily  taken  away  for 
a  no  less  hasty  burial,  and  those  that  were  left  (many  of 
them  soon  to  follow)  were  being  hastily,  and  of  a  con- 
sequence roughly  treated  by  surgeons,  who  with  bared 
and  bloody  arms  seemed  fairly  reveling  in  human 
gore.     But  why  should  I  linger  over   scenes  which 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  177 

I  cannot  even  contemplate  without  a  shudder.      *      * 

*  *  *  Having  fruitlessly  pursued  my  search 
through  as  many  as  a  dozen  different  hospitals,  I  en- 
tered still  another,  and  after  a  hasty  scrutiny  of  the 
recumbent  forms  which  lay  nearest  around  me,  I  ap- 
proached a  surgeon  and  describing  my  friend,  asked 
if  there  was  such  a  patient  in  his  ward. 

"What  was  the  nature  of  his  wound,  sir?"  asked 
he. 

"  I  have  not  been  able  to  learn,"  said  I. 

"  Then  I  cannot  help  you.  The  quickest  way  is  for 
you  to  search  for  yourself  ;  look  around  you   and  — " 

A  voice  from  another  quarter  of  the  room  caught 
my  ear  and  I  did  not  wait  to  hear  the  last  of  the  sur- 
geon's speech. 

"  This  way,  my  boy,"  said  the  voice,  "for  I'll  wager 
my  left  arm  you  are  looking  for  me." 

A  sudden  thrill  of  pleasure  shot  through  me  at 
sound  of  i',  and  I  bounded  toward  the  reclining  form 
of  its  master  even  before  he  had  finished  his  charac- 
teristic greeting.  While  approaching  him  I  noticed 
his  bloodless  face  and  haggard  expression,  but  what 
shocked  me  most  was  the  sight  of  the  bandaged  stump, 
and  the  empty  sleeve  which  hung  at  his  left  side. 

"  My  poor  fellow,"  si  id  I ;  "I  have  found  you  at 
last,  and  maimed." 

"  Yes,  and  maimed.  Better  that  than  this,  how- 
€ver,''  said  he,  pointing  to  his  head,  and  smiling  faint- 
ly ;  "  but  were  you  really  searching  for  me?  Yes? 
Then  I  do  not  owe  you  my  left  arm,  which,  faith, 
is  forfeit  whether  I  owe  it  or  not,  for  yonder  it  lies  in 
that  bundle  over  there.  They  took  it  off  an  hour  ago, 
at  least  so  much  of  it  as  the  shell  left  me.  And  how 
fares  it  with  you,  my  lad  ?  Not  a  scratch,  eh  ?" 

12 


178  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

"No,  not  a  scratch,  I  am  thankful  to  say,  and  it 
almost  geems  a  miracle,  for  it  has  been  hot  out  there." 

"  Hot,  indeed ;  as  hot  as  I  have  ever  seen,  and  I 
liave  had  my  share  of  it.  But  how  goes  the  day  ? 
They  tell  me  our  army  does  not  fare  so  well;  can  this 
be  true  ? " 

"  1  fear  it  is.  We  have  been  terribly  cut  to  pieces^ 
and  although  the  others  have  suffered  proportionately, 
yet  1  cannot  but  think  that  'Old  Rosy'  has  the  advan- 
tage. At  this  moment  both  sides  are  preparing 
for  the  death  grapple,  which  may  come  within  the 
hour ;  and  when  it  does  come  I  fear  the  issue  will 
go  against  us." 

"Give  them  a  cavalry  charge,"  saidMcPherson,  his 
eyes  taking  fire  at  the  thought,  "a  cavalry  charge 
with  a  man  like  Morgan  to  lead  it.  "That  is  what 
they  want,  and  if  that  infernal  Stone  river  were  out 
of  the  Avay  it  might  be  done  even  yet,  migiit  it  not  ?'* 

"My  dear  friend,"  said  I,  "  we  will  leave  that  to 
General  Bragg,  and  talk  of  something  else.  When 
were  you  shot  ?'' 

"  Late  yesterday  afternoon.  A  shell  from  one  of 
McCook's  batteries  burst  under  my  horse,  killing  him 
and  depriving  me  of  my  left  hand.  I  managed  to 
scramble  from  beneath  the  carcass  and  make  my  waj 
to  the  rear  where  they  stopped  the  bleeding  after  I 
had  lost  a  full  gallon,  at  the  least.  The  rest  was  done 
this  morning.  Yes,"  continued  he,  after  a  pause, 
"the  poor  fellow  is  no  more  and  I  owe  McCook  an 
everlasting  grudge  for  it." 

"Of  whom  are  you  speaking?"  said  I. 

"Of  Douglass,  my  horse,  whom  I  named  after  our 
famous  sergeant,  and  as  good  a  beast  as  ever  man 
straddled." 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  179 

"Ah,  but  _yoa  are  very  pale,  my  friend,  do  you  suffer 
much  pain  ?" 

"Pain !  balderdash  ;  it  is  the  lo^^s  of  blood,  man." 
The  infernal  thing  does  feel  somewhat  uncomforta- 
ble, however.  Now,  wliat  I  want  most  at  this  partic- 
ular moment  is  a  pull  at  somebody's  flask,  and  if  you 
will  just  investigate  the  contents  of  yonder  canteen  ; 
do  you  see  it  hanging  at  that  poor  fellow's  head  ?" 

"Yes;  wait  a  moment  and  I  will  see." 

The  supposed  prize  hung  from  a  nail  against  the 
opposite  wall,  and  just  above  the  form  of  a  man  who 
lay  stretched  upon  the  bare  floor  with  only  a  saddle 
blanket  under  his  head. 

In  pursuing  my  investigation  I  made  as  little  noise 
as  possible,  fearing  to  disturb  the  wounded  soldier, 
who  was  evidently  asleep,  but  after  removing  the 
canteen  and  finding  it  empty  I  inadvertently  struck  it 
against  the  wall  in  my  effort  to  replace  it,  and  the 
noise  occasioned  awakened  the  soldier.  Up  to  this 
moment  his  face  had  been  concealed  by  a  blanket 
which  some  friendly  hand  had  thrown  over  him,  but 
this  he  now  removed  and  looked  feebly  up  into  my 
face.  1  was  in  the  -ict  of  stooping  over  him,  the  better 
to  apologize  for  having  disturbed  his  rest,  when  I 
first  caught  sight  of  his  wan  and  haggard  countenance, 
but  it  was  not  the  stamp  of  suffering  upon  it  which 
made  me  start  and  shrink  away  from  him,  with  a  thou- 
sand indescribable  emotions  filling  me.  A  greater 
cause  than  this;  wonder  and  incredulity  was  the 
outcome  of  that  look,  for  the  wounded  man  before 
me  was  in  every  respect  the  very  counterpart  of  my 
own  self,  and  the  more  I  looked  upon  him  the  more 
perfect  became  the  resemblance.  The  black  hair  and 
beard,  the  dark  eyes  and  the  other  features,  the  gen- 
eral expression,  the  size  and  even  the  dress,  (for  we 


180  SAVED    BY    A    WOMAN; 

both  wore  the  confederate  uniform)  were  so  exactly 
mine  that  in  the  puzzled  condition  of  my  senses  I 
actually  groped  before  me,  half  expecting  to  find  a 
glass  reflecting  back  my  image.  For  some  moments  I 
stood  gazing  upon  the  outstretched  form  in  speechless 
amazement,  until  at  length  the  expressionless  eyes 
feebly  closed  as  if  wearied  with  staring  at  me.  Re- 
minded by  tills  that  I  was  probably  intruding  upon 
the  few  short  moments  of  life  that  remained  to  the 
dying  man,  I  arose  and  left  him. 

On  my  way  to  McPherson's  side  I  passed  an  atten- 
dant and  closely  questioned  him  concerning  the 
stricken  soldier  whom  I  had  just  left,  but  he  only 
smiled  and  shook  his  head  when  I  spoke. 

"Beyond  the  fact  that  he  was  brought  in  about 
noon  yesterday,  I  know  nothing  of  him,"  said  he. 
"The  poor  fellow  has  not  spoken  since  we  laid  him 
there,  and  although  he  has  had  all  the  attention  we 
could  possibly  give  him  he  cannot  live.  He  is  shot 
in  several  places,  and  so  badly  that  I  am  su prised  at 
his  being  still  alive." 

"And  is  he  not  suffering  terribly  upon  that  hard 
floor?"  said  I. 

"Oh,  no ;  he  feels  no  pain.  The  doctor  adminis- 
tered  an  opiate  last  night  and  another  this  morning  to 
prevent  it.  But  your  dress  is  not  that  of  a  chaplain, 
sir." 

"Nor  am  I  one,  and  yet  my  inquiries  are  not  idly 
made.  Tell  me  one  thing  more  and  I  will  not  occupy 
your  time  longer.  Has  there  been  any  one  here  to 
see  him  ?  Any  one  from  whom  I  might  gather  some- 
thing of  his  past  life?" 

"  There  was  a  man  here  this  morning,  sir,  and  I 
think  an  otficer,  whom  I  saw  stoop  over  him  for  a 
moment,  and  take  his  hand  as  if  to  bid  him  good-bye, 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  181 

but  I  was  verry  busy,  and  when  I  looked  a^ain  he  had 
disappeared.  Dr.  Jones  may  be  able  to  tell  you  some- 
thing more,  however,  as  he  was  here  at  the  time,  and 
may  have  noticed  the  visitor  more  closely  than  I." 

*'  And  where  is  Dr.  Jones?" 

"  He  will  be  in  directly,  I  guess — a  short,  thickset 
man,  who  wears  spectacles,  and  is  very  talkative ;  you 
will  know  him  at  once  ;  good-bye." 

'*  Good-day,  and  thanks  to  you." 

I  now  approached  McPherson,  who  all  this  time 
had  been  watching  me  with  much  curiosity,  as  was 
soon  revealed. 

"I  might  have  died  for  lack  of  the  liquor,"  said  he, 
as  I  reached  him,  "  but  who  was  it  you  discovered — a 
relative,  or  merely  a  friend  ?" 

"  Neither,"  said  I,  "  but  listen,  and  I  will  tell  you 
a  curious  story,"  and  so  saying,  I  related  what  I  had 
seen. 

He  did  not  interrupt  me,  and  even  when  I  had 
finished,  he  said  nothing,  but  held  out  his  one  arm  to 
me,  that  I  might  assist  him  to  rise, 

"  I'll  go  over  with  you  and  have  a  look  at  him," 
said  he,  "and  if  he's  not  too  far  gone,  I'll  ask  him  a 
question." 

Having  reached  the  side  of  the  dying  soldier,  the 
scout  stooped  over  him  and  gazed  long  and  search- 
ingly  into  his  pallid  face,  then  scanning  each  feature 
separately  he  looked  up,  and  compared  them  with 
mine  again  and  again.  At  length  he  arose  and  led 
me  a  short  distance  away. 

"  He  is  not  your  brother,  boy  ?''  said  he. 

I  only  stared  at  him. 

"  You  are  perfectly  certain  of  this." 

I  continued  to  stare,  in  silence. 

"Well  then,  it  is  simply  wonderful,  and  it  is  the 


182  SAVED   BY   A   WOMAN; 

first  time  I've  ever  known  nature  to  counterfeit  her 

work.      There's    not    the    shadow  of    a  flaw   in   the 

resemblance." 

.   ''  Indeed,  it  is  startling,"  said  I. 

"  And  have  you  thought  of  anything  else,  in  con- 
nection with  this  likeness?''  asked  the  scout. 

"  You  mean  the  possibility  of  my  having  been 
mistaken  for  this  man  by  Douglass  V 

"  I  mean  the  great  probability  of  such  a  thing,"  said 
he,  "  for  there  cannot  be  three  so  much  alike,  and  I 
have  always  imagined  it  was  something  of  this  kind." 

"  I  had  some  such  idea  in  my  mind  -when  I  ques- 
tioned the  attendant,''  said  I,  "  but  it  had  scarcely 
assumed  the  shape  of  a  probability." 

"  I  am  so  curious  to  know  the  truth,"  said  theecout, 
"  that  I  have  a  mind  to  try  an  experiment  with  the 
poor  fellow  there  himself,  without  waiting  for  this  Dr. 
Jones  to  enlighten  ns." 

He  approached  the  outstretched  form  as  he  spoke, 
and  seeing  that  the  eyes  had  unclosed  and  were  va- 
cantly staring  into  space,  he  knelt  down  without 
further  hesitation  and  endeavored  to  attract  the  dying 
man's  attention. 

"  Do  you  see  me,"  said  he,  "  can  you  speak  ?" 

There  was  no  reply,  not  even  a  look,  to  indicate 
that  the  query  had  been  heard  and  understood. 

"  Hear  me  if  you  can,"  said  McL'herson  again, 
stooping  nearer  to  him,  and  taking  the  poor  fellow's 
hand  in  his.     **^  Listen  to  me  now,  do  you  know  Doug- 


The  effect  of  these  last  words  was  no  less  sudden 
than  awful.  With  a  last  and  powerful  effort  the  sol- 
dier gained  a  sitting  posture  while  a  cry  which  seemed 
to  choke  him  gurgled  forth  from  his  throat,  and  a 
sudden  flush  showed  itself  upon  his  cheeks. 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  183 

"Douglass,"  said  he,  with  thick  articulation,  "Doug- 
lass, where  is  he?     Oh,  Janie,  Janie :" 

His  expression,  which  had  been  momentarily  wild 
and  fierce,  changed  in  an  instant  to  one  of  blank 
vacancy,  the  color  deserted  his  cheeks  and  he  sank 
slowly  backward  into  his  former  position. 

"Janie,  Janie,"  once  more  escaped  his  lips,  and  his 
eyes  closed,  shutting  out  the  world  forever.     *     *     * 

Still  kneeling  beside  him  until  the  last  painful  breath 
had  been  drawn,  McPherson  composed  the  dead  man's 
limbs,  and  called  me  to  see  the  smile  which  rested 
upon  his  rigid  features. 

"  He  has  crossed  the  river,"  said  he,  in  tremulous 
accents,  "  and  if  his  Janie  is  not  there  to  meet  him  he 
will  wait  for  her.     Poor  lad,  poor  lad." 

Drawing  the  blanket  reverently  over  the  body  the 
scout  arose  and  turned  away. 

"  Come,"  said  he,  dashing  a  tear  from  his  eye  as  he 
spoke,  and  turning  his  head  away  to  hide  the  act, 
■"  Come,  let  him  rest  in  peace." 

Not  caring  who  saw  my  tears,  I  made  no  effort  to 
hide  them,  and  as  I  followed  the  scout  to  his  allotted 
resting  place,  I  used  my  handkerchief  without  feel- 
ing shame. 


184  SAVED   BY   A   AVOMAN ; 


CHAPTER  XXYIII. 


For  some  moments  after  this  sad  event  I  sat  silently 
beside  the  scout  as  he  reclined  upon  his  blanket,  hav- 
ing no  heart  for  conversation.  The  strange  revela- 
tions of  the  past  few  moments  had  given  me  enough 
to  think  upon,  and  thus  occupied  I  remained  until 
rudely,  yet  not  unpleasantly,  interrupted. 

A  voice  whose  accents  sounded  strangely  familiar, 
fell  upon  my  ear;  an  all  important,  precisely  accented 
and  never  tiring  voice.  It  was  approaching  the  room 
ift  which  I  sat,  becoming  more  and  more  familiar  as 
it  could  be  more  distinctly  heard,  and  at  length,  even 
before  I  had  seen  rhe  spectacles,  the  stout  little  figure 
shorn  of  coat,  and  the  fat  arms  bared  to  the  elbow,  I 
had  recognized  the  voice  as  that  which  belonged  to 
the  veritable  Dr.  Jones  who  had  shaved  me  on  the 
memorable  evening  of  my  escape  from  the  Nashville 
penitentiary. 

With  a  few  words  of  explanation  to  McPherson,  I 
hastily  arose  and  approached  the  doctor  (who  was 
talking  to  no  one  in  particular  but  talking  incessant- 
ly all  the  same),  and  taking  his  hand,  without  ceremo- 
ny, I  began  a  slow  and  measured  shaking,  while  I 
looked  silently  into  his  ruddy  countenance. 

"  Eh,"  said  the  doctor,  "now  upon  my  word,  as  I 
was  telling  my  friend  Jenkins,  a  fellow  meets  so  many 
people  in  this  confounded  business  that  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  remember  the  half  of  them.  Something 
of  the  same  kind  occurred  to  me  at  Manassas — bloody 
business  that — but,  upon  my  soul,  I've  seen  you  before." 

"You  most  certainly  have,  doctor,"  said  I,  and  I 
might  have  added  a  few  words  for  his  enlightenment 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  185 

had  not  my  utterance  been  choked  by  the  laughter 
which  his  comical  expression,  no  less  than  his  ridicu- 
lous volubility,  provoked.  This  comical  expression  of 
the  doctor's  is  worthy  of  note.  It  was  not  a  counte- 
nance sparkling  with  humor,  nor  yet  a  face  lighted 
up  with  the  smiles  of  friendly  recognition,  which  he 
turned  upon  me,  but  a  physiognomy  whose  frowning 
severity  might  have  become  an  angry  tyrant ;  the 
only  incompatible  feature  about  the  comparison  being 
that  the  tyrant  aforesaid,  if  laboring  under  the  incon- 
venience of  passion,  would  presumably  have  kept  hi& 
lips  firm-set,  while  the  doctor's  lips  were  half  opened 
and  puckered  into  a  perfect  "0." 

"  Well,  now,  upon — my — word" — continued  the 
doctor,  after  his  frowning  scrutin}'-  had  lasted  full  a 
minute,  "where  was  it  ?  Tell  me,  where  was  it  f  Yet 
stay,  I  have  it ;  bv  the  Lord,  I  have  it ;  vnas  it  at 
Nashville?" 

"Exactly,  sir;  when  you  were  'B.  D.'  " 

"  *B.  D.'  to  be  sure,  very  good,  sir ;  why  how  have 
you  been  ?  (the  doctor  here  turned  the  tables 
on  me  and  shook  my  hand  vigorously).  Glad  to  see 
you  ;  'pon  my  word  I  am.  Got  away  safely,  did  you  ? 
Remarkable  woman  that  Mrs.  Nickolson,sir,  extreme- 
ly so,  as  I  was  telling" — 

"And  how  did  you  ^Qt  away,  doctor?" 

"Took  a  certain  deraned  oath,  swore  never  to  take 
up  arms  against  the  Union  again,  but  did  not  swear 
never  to  help  the  suffering  wounded,  and  here  I  am, 
sir,  'M.  D.'  once  more  ;  but  what  brought  you  here^ 
if  I  may  ask  ?" 

"I  came  here  in  search  of  a  wounded  friend,  doctor, 
whom  I  regret  to  say  I  found  minus  an  arm.  You 
may  see  him  by  looking  across  the  room." 

"Ah,  yes ;  I  helped   to  take  it  off    this  morning; 


186  SAVED    BY   A   WOMAN; 

brave  fellow,  sir;  never  flinched,  peculiar  name  he 
gave  us — 'Slimy'  something." 

'"Slippery  Frank,'  you  mean." 

"To  be  sure,  that  was  it,  and  yoa  say  he  is  a  friend 
of  yours?" 

"An  exceedingly  dear  one,  sir  ;  come  over  and  I'll 
introduce  you  formally," 

"Not  at  all  necessary,"  said  the  doctor  bolting  to- 
ward McPherson  without  further  ado,  "not  necessary, 
eir,  in  these  times  ;  rough  and  ready  politeness  is  all 
that's  required;"  and  by  this  time,  having  reached 
the  scout,  the  doctor  tapped  him  familiarly  upon  the 
shoulder  and  exclaimed  :  "How  goes  it  now,  Mr. 
'greasy,'  ah,  Frank." 

Standing  a  few  feet  behind  the  doctor  and  facing 
McPherson,  I  was  enabled  to  catch  the  latter's  eye 
and  impart  to  him  something  of  the  innocent  charac- 
ter of  this  "rough  and  ready"  salutation  before  he 
could  reply ;  and  it  was  well  perhaps,  for  the  doctor's 
dignity  that  I  did  so.  As  it  was,  the  scout  seemed 
half  inclined  to  knock  the  doctor's  theory  concerning 
the  requirements  of  camp  society ,into  a  cocked  hat,  and 
the  doctor  along  with  it ;  but  his  better  nature  and 
his  love  for  fun  in  an  instant  assumed  their  usual 
sway,  and  he  did  no  more  than  gaze  upon  the  comical 
little  figure  while  he  said  with  a  low  laugh, 

"Why,  what  the  devil  have  we  here?" 

"An  old  acquaintance  of  mine,  McPherson,"  said 
I,  stepping  quickly  forward  to  save  the  doctor's  feel- 
ings ;  "let  me  introduce  you,  gentlemen  ;  Dr.  Jones, 
Mr.  McPherson." 

The  doctor  bowed  low,  but  the  scout,  now  thor- 
oughly launched  into  his  teasing  mood,  began  a  vacant 
staring  at  his  feet  while,  as  if  recalling  some  forgot- 
ten memory,  he  muttered  : 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  187 

"Jone?,  Jones ;  it  seems  to  me  I've  heard  the  name 
before,  a  'taw-bones'  did  you  say  V 

"Have  done,  McFherson,"  said  I,  while  I  darted  at 
him  a  swift  glance  of  displeasure,  and  turning  to  the 
doctor,  (who  by  this  time  had  drawn  himself  majes- 
tically up  upon  his  dignity)  I  continued  in  an  under- 
tone;  "an  uncombed  devil  of  Morgan's,  capital 
fellow  at  heart  but  rough  of  manner,  you  must  not 
mind  him." 

"Certainly  not,  sir,  since  you  explain,"  said  the 
doctor,  thawing  at  once  into  a  smile  and  descending 
with  precipitate  haste  from  the  elevation  above  men- 
tioned ;  "certainly  not,  but  he  is  droll,  now  isn't  he." 

"Yery,"  said  I,  "and  now,  doctor,  if  I  may  claim 
your  attention  for  a  few  moments  I  will  give  you  the 
outlines  of  a  curious  story,  and  afterward  claim  your 
assistance  in  unraveling  some  of  its  threads,  which  at 
present  are  vexatiously  tangled." 

The  doctor  promised  and  kept  his  word.  Reclining 
upon  the  bare  floor  in  camp  style,  between  McPher- 
son  and  myself,  he  listened  attentively  while,  in  a  few 
words,  I  outlined  so  much  of  my  story  as  bore  upon 
the  mysteries  of  the  moment,  and  having  arrived  at 
the  proper  stage,  I  led  him  across  the  roorn  and 
showed  him  the  face  of  the  dead  soldier  wiio  was  so 
perfectly  and  wonderfully  my  image. 

The  doctor  was  dumbfounded. 

"Well,  well,"  said  he,  "in  all  my  experience  I  have 
never  seen  the  like  before." 

"It  is  passing  strange,  sir,  passing  strange,"  said  I, 
"but  listen  a  little  further.  We  saw  the  man  whose 
body  you  have  just  viewed  breathe  his  last  an  hour 
ago ;  the  concluding  exertion  of  his  life  being  to  start 
into  energetic  action  at  the  bare  mention  of  the  nan  e 
of    'Douglass.'     This    was    an    experiment    of    my 


188  SAVED   BY    A    WOMAN; 

friend's,  and  I  need  not  tell  you  that  the  startling  re- 
sult has  filled  me  with  an  eager  longing  to  know 
more  of  this  curious  circumstance." 

"And  quite  natural  that  it  should,  sir;  'pon  my 
soul,  I'm  burning  with  curiosity  myself,"  said  the 
doctor. 

"Then  let  us  consider  the  best  means  of  obtaining 
the  knowledge  we  seek." 

I  here  questioned  the  doctor  concerning  the  visitor 
of  whom  the  attendant  had  spoken,  but  he  assured 
me,  much  to  my  disappointment,  that  he  had  not 
noticed  the  man  and  knew  nothing  of  him.  He 
promised,  however,  to  watch  the  body  so  long  as  it 
remained  where  it  was,  and  to  importune  any  who 
approached  it,  with  the  view  of  gaining  the  de- 
sired information. 

"I  will  do  more  than  this,"  said  the  doctor,  "I  will 
immediately  set  inquiry  on  foot  among  the  other  sur- 
geons and  their  assistants,  and  as  soon  as  I  can  bring 
together  the  proper  witnesses  I  will  search  the  body 
and  let  you  know  the  result.  But  upon  my  word," 
he  continued,  glancing  hastily  at  his  watch,  "it  is 
nearly  three  o'clock  and  I  must  be  off.  I  will  drop  a 
note  to  your  tent — ha — " 

At  that  moment  a  volley  of  musketry,  quickly  fol- 
lowed by  the  fierce  confederate  "war  whoop,''  told 
us  that  the  term  of  armistice  was  at  an  end,  and  bid- 
ding ray  companion  a  hurried  farewell,  I  quickly 
sought  my  tent  to  arm  myself  for  the  tray. 

•5fr  *  *  *    ■  -X-  -X-  '-X-  4(- 

When  the  sun  went  down  a  few  hours  later,  I 
dragged  myself  once  more  into  camp,  smoke-dyed, 
exhausted  and  carrying  a  heart  like  lead  in  my  bosom. 
For  the  confederate  sortie,  their  last  and  only  hope, 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN    ROMANCE.  189 

had  failed  ;  the  day  was  virtnallj  lost,  and  the  too 
abundant  bicrifice  ot  blood  had  been  offered  fruit- 
lessly and  in  vain. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

The  earth  trembled  to  the  foot-falls  of  a  moving 
host,  before  yet  the  sun  had  risen  on  the  morning  of 
the  third  of  January,  1863.  It  was  Bragg  steah'ng 
noiselessly  away  from  Murfreesboro. 

There  were  no  bugle  blasts  to  be  heard,  to  stir  the 
soldier's  heart  into  gallant  throbbing;  no  music,  no 
beating  of  drums;  none  of  the  clamor  and  uproar 
which  usually  follows  a  sudden  order  to  march.  The 
men  moved  and  maneuvered  to  half  whispered  com- 
mands, cavalrymen  picked  their  way  along  with  cau- 
tious rein,  and  drivers  of  artillery  wagons  and  ambu- 
lances laid  aside  their  lashes  and  spoke  no  encouraging 
word  to  their  her,vily  laden  cattle.  Indeed  so  secretly 
and  quietly  were  these  movements  designed  and  put 
into  execution,  that  even  after  having  left  the  town 
some  miles  behind  them,  one-half  the  troops  were  still 
in  doubt  as  to  whether  the  entire  army  was  on  the 
march,  or  that  only  a  portion  of  it  had  been  sent  out 
to  execute  a  flank  movement  upon  the  enemy.  As  to 
myself,  however,  I  was  not  among  the  latter.  Being 
to  some  extent  a  privileged  character  about  the  camp, 
belonging  to  no  particular  command,  and  in  conse- 
quence, doing  no  post  duties,  I  had  in  my  roamings, 
picked  up  quite  enough  to  assure  me  that  this  secret 
night  march  meant  nothing  less  than  the  abandonment 
of  our  camp  and  the  town  of  Murfreesboro  to  the 


190  SAVED   BY   A    WOMAN; 

enemy ;  and  with  this  information,  obtained  early  in 
the  night,  I  had  sought  and  found  McPherson,  in  or- 
der to  aesist  him  in  his  preparation  for  the  road.  The 
scout  liked  not  the  idea  of  being  disturbed  "during 
his  first  nap,"  as  he  expressed  it,  and  stormed  for  quite 
awhile  about  "  a  cowardly  midnight  retreat,''  but  he 
finally  consented  to  every  arrangement  I  proposed, 
and  by  the  time  the  tents  were  being  struck,  I  had 
procured  him  a  horse  ;  he  having  scornfully  refused 
the  comforts  of  an  ambulance;  and  made  all  ready  for 
the  journey. 

"  Confound  the  vagabond  that  shot  away  my  hand,'' 
exclaimed  the  scout,  as  he  mounted  his  horse  and  in- 
vohintarily  motioned  his  stump  toward  the  rein — 
"  how  in  the  devil's  name  am  I  ever  to  manage  my 
beast  and  use  my  sabre  with  the  same  hand  ?  I'll  have 
my  head  chopped  off  by  the  first  stripling  whom  I 
meet  in  the  charge." 

"I^ot  so  bad  as  that,  my  dear  friend,"  said  I,  in  an 
effort  to  reassure  him — "some  day  when  your  stump 
is  completely  healed,  you  will  le^rn  to  use  it  in  many 
ways  which  you  reckon  impossible  now." 

"I  shall  never  handle  a  fork  with  it  more,"  said 
he,  "  and  that  of  itself  ^'s  enough  to  break  my  heart, 
and,  I  shall  miss  it  in  a  thousand  different  ways. 
But  most  of  all,''  continued  he,  sadly,  as  we  slowly 
rode  along,  "  most  of  all  will  I  miss  it,  if  I  survive 
this  war  and  go  back  again  to  the  quiet  of  a  farmer's 
life;  most  of  all  then^  when  the  evening's  come,  and 
1  sit  with  the  rest  around  the  happy  fireplace,  and 
glance  above  it  at  my  old,  old  friend,  hanging  there, 
a  companion  to  cobwebs  and  dust.  My  old,  old  friend, 
whom  many  and  many  a  night  I've  held  to  my  breast 
and  mused  delightfully  over,  while  it  sung  to  me  and 
softened  me,  and  smoothed  away  every  ripple  of  care 


OR,    THE   HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  191 

from  my  breast,  like  oil  poured  upon  the  troubled 
waters.     I  speak  of  my  violin." 

"Ha!  you  never  told  me  you  were  musical,  Mc- 
Pherson.'' 

"  Musical?  Why,  man,  I  was  once  the  chief  per- 
former at  every  country  dance  for  miles  around  my 
home.  Being  too  clumsy  to  enjoy  the  dance,  I  always 
played  from  choice,  and  watching  the  blunders  of  the 
careless  country  folk,  I  enjoyed  myself  to  the  full  as 
much  as  the  veriest  jigger  among  them.  Yes,  I'm  a 
dear  lover  of  music,  and  so  was  my  father  and  all  of 
us,  for  that  matter.  My  father,  did  1  eay  ?  Why,  God 
bless  you,  the  old  man  worshiped  music.  '  Frank,' 
he  would  say,  over  and  over  again,  '  the  mind  is  trou- 
bled to-night ;  get  down  the  tiddle,  my  boy,  get  down 
the  fiddle ' ;  and  I  had  no  need  to  ask  him  what  to 
play.  It  was  'Down  Upon  the  Suwanee  River,'  or 
*  Auld  Lang  Syne,'  that  he  wanted ;  and  I  had  but  to 
ru  J  over  the  air  once  or  twice  when  he  would  lean  his 
head  backward  upon  his  chair  and  close  his  eyes  as  if 
sleeping;  and  generally,"  continued  the  scout,  whose 
voice  now  trembled  with  a  holy  emotion,  "generally 
when  I  ceased  to  play,  he  would  jump  up  suddenly 
and  wipe  his  spectacles,  which  he  had  worn  close  over 
his  eyes,  and  before  he  sat  down  again  he  would 
move  his  chair  nearer  to  my  mother's  and  fondle  her, 
and  make  love  to  her,  for  the  rest  — '' 

His  voice  died  away  and  he  spurred  his  horse  for- 
ward with  a  sudden  impulse  that  left  me  several 
lengths  behind.  I  made  no  effort  to  regain  my  place 
at  his  side,  and  it  was  some  time  before  he  drew  rein 
and  waited  for  me  to  join  him.  His  manner  had 
completely  changed  when  again  he  spoke. 

"What  balderdash  have  I  been  talking,''  said  he, 


192  SAVED    BY   A    WOMAN; 

*'when  all  this  time  I  am  forgetting  that  I  have  a 
message  for  you." 

"From  whom — from  Jones?" 

"  Yes  ;  did  you  get  his  note  V 

"  A  few  words  hastily  scrawled  upon  the  back  of 
an  envelope,  saying  that  he  was  upon  the  track  of  the 
man  who  visited  the  hospital  in  the  morning,  and 
would  report  later — nothing  more." 

"He  must  have  written  you  another,  then,  which 
you  did  not  get,  for  I  saw  him  not  more  than  an  hour 
before  you  routed  me  up,  and  he  -spoke  of  having 
written  you  what  it  seems  you  have  not  heard." 

"  And  what  did  he  say  ?" 

"  That  he  had  traced  the  unknown  visitor  to  the 
extent  of  leainiiag  his  name  and  mess,  and  had  visited 
liis  tent  after  the  fight  with  the  view  of  meeting  him 
and  arra'iging  an  interview  with  us." 

"  Well,  did  he  succeed  ?  and  what  was  the  man's 
name  ?" 

"  I  cannot  answer  your  last  question,  for  if  Jones 
mentioned  the  name  I  have  forgotten  it ;  and  as  to 
the  first — the  man  was  killed." 

"  Killed  r 

"Yes,  early  in  this  afternoon's  engagement." 

"Then  I  am  completely  baffled,  and  the  past — " 

"  Has  been  hidden  by  the  shroud  of  death,"  inter- 
rupted the  scout,  "and  if  yon  take  my  advice  you  will 
no  more  seek  to  pierce  its  sacred  gloom.  Where  is  the 
use  of  knowing  that  which  no  longer  concerns  you  ? 
There  are  three  freshly  dug  graves  between  you  and 
harm  ;  then  do  not  insult  the  dead  by  stepping  across 
their  ashes,  nor  disturb  their  rest  by  prying  into  the 
secrets  which  are  buried  with  them.  Let  it  alone, 
boy,  let  it  aloue." 

"  I  am  inclined  to  do  as  you  say,  McPlierson,  and 


OR,    THE    HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  193 

unless  tliG  veil  of  which  you  spoke  is  lifted  for  rae,  I 
believe  I  shall  no  longer  look  into  the  past.  Let  the 
secret  rest  forever." 

"So  say  I ;  and  now  I  have  something  more  to  tell 
you  :  I  have  been  furloughed  for  a  month,  and  I'm 
going  home." 

"Ha!  and  when  do  you  start?" 

"  In  a  day  or  two — a  week  at  furthest.  I  shall  fol- 
low Bragg  until  he  pitches  his  tents  again,  and  after  a 
little  preparation  I  shall  set  out  on  horseback.  My 
parents  are  both  dead,  but  I  have  a  sister  and  some 
friends,  among  whom  I  can  rest  until  this  wound  is 
healed  and  I  learn  some  tricks  with  ray  stump..  What 
think  you  of  the  project  ?'' 

"  It  is  the  best  thing  you  could  do."  You  are 
unfit  for  service  now,  and  exposure  such  as  you 
must  undergo  in  camp,  would  only  retard  the  healing 
of  your  wound.  But  I  shall  hate  to  lose  your  com- 
panionship, McPherson." 

"  You  cannot  accompany  me  ?  " 

"  No ;  I  would  like  to  do  so  above  all  things ;  but  I 
must  not." 

"  Then  we  must  part ;  for  a  month  at  the  least." 

"  At  the  least,"  I  echoed,  and  again  we  rode  along 

in  silence. 

******** 

Most  patient  reader,  my  story  is  told.  Its  difficult 
threads  ;  difficult,  because  hitherto  unrecorded  and  of 
a  consequence  half  forgotten — have  been  rescued  after 
twenty  years  from  the  slumbering  events  of  the  past, 
rnd  the  fabric  is  before  you.  Not  a  dainty  fabric, 
not  rich  in  color,  in  texture,  nor  yet  in  pattern,  but 
woven  upon  a  loom  of  truth,  upon  which  fact  alone 
is  bast  d  the  hope,  that  its  contemplation  may  not  be 
considered  wholly  devoid  of  interest.  My  war  adven- 
13 


194  SAVED   BY    A   WOMAN; 

tures  did  not  cease  with  the  retreat  from  Murfreesboro; 
but  during  my  later  experiences,  nothing  transpired 
wliich  has  to  do  with  the  present  narrative.  I  learned 
no  more  of  Douglass;  nothing  more  of  the  origin 
of  that  all-consuming  passion  which  so  ruled  his  life, 
and  which,  with  such  vindictive  persistence,  he  mis- 
directed against  my  innocent  head.  If  Douglass 
mistook  me  for  the  soldier  who  was  so  exactly  my 
double — as  I  must  believe  he  did — his  error  was 
enormous,  almost  incredible,  yet  does  every  kindred 
circumstance  indicate  that  this,  egregious  blunder 
was  actually  made.  But  this  is  all  conjecture;  there- 
fore, enough. 

McPherson  and  Dr.  Jones  both  survived  the  war. 
The  former,  happily  married  and  the  father  of  several 
affectionate  children,  is  to  day  a  comparatively  wealthy 
farmer,  living  not  far  froiu  the  capitol  city  of  Geor 
gia;and  the  latter,  at  last  accounts,  was  plying  his 
vocation  of  "M.  D."  in  the  city  of  Nashville,  Ten- 
nessee. 

Mrs.  Nickolson  still  lives.  Shortly  after  my  escape 
from  JSashville,  she  was  betrayed  by  a  cowardly  rene- 
gade, for  what  object  I  know  not,  and  was  forced  to 
leave  the  citj  alone  on  foot,  and  in  the  dead  of  night, 
to  save  herself  from  imprisonment  or  worse ;  but  not 
for  long  was  she  friendless,  and  she  made  good  her 
escape  without  encountering  any  positive  suffering. 
She  is  well  known  and  well  loved,  and  in  many  a 
veteran  soldier's  home  to-day  her  name  is  held  in 
uncommon  re?pect,  and  the  fittle  ones  lisp  it  sweetly 
in  their  prayers.  The  people  of  Nashville  know  her 
best. 

Dr.  Baldwin  died  toward  the  close  of  the  war,  after 
a  long  imprisonment     This  good  man  could  at  any 


OR,   THE    HIDDEN   ROMANCE.  195 

time  have  escaped  from  his  weary  confinement,  whose 
irksome  bitterness  did  much  to  hasten  his  end,  by 
simply  signing  the  oath  of  allegiance,  but  he  would 
not. 

All  honor  to  his  memory,  and  to  his  self-forgetting 
courage.  All  honor  to  this  humble  hero,  who  pre- 
ferred a  living  death,  to  a  life  of  freedom  purchased 
by  the  sacrifice  of  a  single  principle  of  right. 

Of  the  other  characters  herein  introduced  I  will 
say  no  more,  except  it  be  a  word  of  myself,  to  be 
considered  as  a  part  of  my  adieu x. 

In  narrating  these  personal  adventures,  I  have  not 
sought  to  screen  myself  from  the  lash  of  public 
opinion  by  suppressing  or  misrepresenting  any  foolish 
act  of  mine,  committed  in  my  youth,  and  which  at  a 
maturer  age  I  might  myself  have  condemned.  Nor 
do  I  to-day,  indorse  a^l  of  the  opinions  held,  the  con- 
clusions arrived  at  and  the  sentiments  fostered  by  the 
rash  and  unreasoning  boy,  whom  I  certainly  was, 
twenty  odd  years  ago.  Kemember  this,  indulgent 
reader. 

Concerning  the  mysterious  visitations  herein  de- 
scribed, In  have  only  to  say  that,  trusting  alone  to 
memory,  I  have  exaggerated  nothing  in  their  connec- 
tion. The  impressions  which  they  made  upon  me  at 
the  time  of  their  happening,  and  which  1  have  en- 
deavored truthfully  to  describe,  were — be  pleased  once 
more  to  remember — the  impressions  of  a  boy,  and 
possibly  of  a  superstitious  one  besides.  As  to  what 
my  opinion  is  to-day,  I  will  not  venture  an  expres- 
sion. For  who  will  rashly  argue  the  mysterious  points 
of  contact  between  the  earthly  and  the  spiritual  world  ? 
Few  there  are  who  will  even  acknowledge  to  a  belief 
in  such  a  contact ;  fewer  still  will  argue  upon  it,  and 
yet,  strange  inconsistency,  how  very,  very  few  are 
those  who  do  not,  to  themselves  alone,  do  homage  to  the 


196  SAVED    BY   A    WOMAN; 

doubt.  Let  the  wise  (?)  man  prate  of  his  philosophy  ; 
the  soldier  boast  his  valor;  the  scholar  his  skepticism, 
and  the  worldling  laugh  his  scorn;  but  with  each 
there  comes  a  time  of  honest  self-confession,  when 
lonely  and  beset  by  terrors;  the  darkness  of  the  forest, 
the  howling  of  the  wind,  the  rushing  of  the  torrent; 
these  are  the  moments,  and  such  as  these,  when  in- 
stinct smothers  argument,  and  the  feeble  pigmy  man, 
trembles  at  his  own  imaginings. 

I  pause  in  my  task  at  the  sound  of  a  well-known 
voice  addressing  me  in  tones  of  gentle  reproof. 

"Come,  my  husband,"  it  says  ;  "it  is  past  midnight 
and  you  should  be  at  rest ;  lay  aside  your  pen,  now; 
lay  aside  your  pen." 

''Yes,  dear  papa,"  •  chimes  in  another  voice  ;  "pray 
cease  your  labors  for  the  night." 

"I  am  coming,"  I  answer;  ['1  am  coming  at  once," 
and  preparing  to  obey  these  affectionate  admonitions, 
I  bend  over  these  lines  for  the  last  time,  and  only  so 
long  as  it  takes  me  to  write  the  one  word — 

"Finis." 


RARE  BOOK 
COLLECTION 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

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NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT 

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Wilmer 
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